Inside Editors Note.................................................1 The Lost Village of Pippidufka.................... 6 LAST WORDS............................................... 8 THE TASK AT HAND.....................................13 A CERTAIN SOLUTION..................................21 AN OFFICIAL VISITOR................................25 EPILOGUE.................................................25
BACK MATTER The Pippidufka Series................................... 31 About The Author.......................................... 32 Other Works by Max Singer............................. 33 Reviews........................................................ 34
THE LOST VILLAGE OF PIPPIDUFKA [ ILLUSTRATED COLLECTOR’S EDITION ] COPYRIGHT © 2026 BY MAX SINGER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL MEANS, INCLUDING INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS, WITHOUT PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER, EXCEPT BY A REVIEWER WHO MAY QUOTE BRIEF PASSAGES IN A REVIEW. INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED BY MAX SINGER THE MAXYFACTORY, NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS. ISBN: 9798257695476. FIRST EDITION: 2026
AND WITH THAT, HE FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR OF OUR SITTING ROOM, AND, TAKING THE STAIRS TWO AT A TIME, CARPETBAG IN HAND, EVER-PRESENT DEERSTALKER UPON HIS HEAD, CAVENDISH TAILS FLAPPING BEHIND HIM, FLEW DOWN AND OUT
Editors note
F
OR WHAT WE, the editors, hoped to be
the definite edition of The Tailles of Pippidufka based on The Silesian’s Text, our original intent was to eschew all previous translations and transcriptions, relying instead on our own close readings and re-examination of the original document, in an attempt, once and for all, to fill in the multitude of elisions, ellipsi, illegibles and [sic] that pepper the canon, and, thus, often confuse and certainly annoy both reader and performer, coming as they often due at critical points in the narrative. To this end, we had, early on. placed enquiries in the usual publications (NYTBR, NYRB and TLS, etc.), but after a length of time, having received no response, we decided to proceed as best we could. It was not until we were reading the galley proofs of this work, that we received, par avion, a letter from a Grenville Watson-Smythe, who purported to be the great-grandson of “the author” (sic) of
THUS IT WAS, THAT ONE GREY SEPTEMBER DAY, WITH HEIGHTENED CURIOSITY AND URGENCY, WE FOUND OURSELVES RINGING, OR RATHER BANGING, A LARGE ANTIQUE BRASS DOOR KNOCKER ON A BUILDING IN AN OLD STREET IN THE EAST END OF LONDON. {1}
{2}
{3}
The Silesian’s Text, stating that “in response to your advert… etc” and “in the interests of correcting the historical record… etc” if we wished to appear at such-and-such a place, at such-and-such a time, upon such-and-such a date, we would be graciously allowed “to examine” and “peruse other such materials” as were in his possession. Something about the wording of his letter struck us as odd, for instance, his referral to his great-grandfather as “the author” of the manuscript. Thus it was, that one grey September Day, with heightened curiosity and urgency, we found ourselves ringing, or rather banging, a large antique brass door knocker on a building in an old street in the East End of London. An elderly, if not ageless, housekeeper admitted us, ushered us up a flight of dimly gas-lit stairs to a second floor parlour, where a middle-aged gentleman rose to greet us. The entire scene, was impressed upon us in a most unusual fashion, resembling as it did something from early in the previous century — the anachronistic lighting, the large and overstuffed furniture,
AN ELDERLY, IF NOT AGELESS, HOUSEKEEPER ADMITTED US, USHERED US UP A FLIGHT OF DIMLY GAS-LIT STAIRS TO A SECOND FLOOR PARLOUR, WHERE A MIDDLE-AGED GENTLEMAN ROSE TO GREET US {4}
even the garb and beard of our host, all could have been lifted straight from a movie set or museum. Yet we knew, somehow, that all of this was strictly authentic. After a brief introduction, Mr. Grenville Doyle, for that, indeed, is whom he introduced himself as, left the room briefly and returned with a frayed Buster Brown shoe box marked on its side GREAT-GRANDA’S STUFF. Doyle indicated to us that we would be left alone with the box and to take as much time as needed. With great anticipation we opened the container that lay before us, hoping to find that fabled packet of Gauloises papers that had been torn, burnt, stained, shot at, gassed, mortared. We found instead a ragged grey manila folder covering the bottom of the box. Our first thought was that we had been had. We were about to chide Doyle for his costly and time-wasting practical joke, when, from curiosity, or cruel fate, we opened the folder and withdrew from it a manuscript of some dozen odd pages in length, typed single-space on an ancient typewriter on brittle onionskin. What follows is an accurate transcription of what we read. — MAX SINGER ETAL.
THE ENTIRE SCENE, WAS IMPRESSED UPON US IN A MOST UNUSUAL FASHION, RESEMBLING AS IT DID SOMETHING FROM EARLY IN THE PREVIOUS CENTURY {5}
{6}
“THIS IS EITHER THE CLEVEREST OF RUSES, WATSON-SMYTHE, AND I AM ON MY WAY TO A FINAL CONFRONTATION WITH MY ARCH-ENEMY, PROFESSOR MORIARTY, OR, I SHALL SOON SET FOOT IN THE LEGENDARY LOST VILLAGE OF PIPPIDUFKA.”
{7}
A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
The Lost Village of Pippidufka by Max Singer with John Watson-Smythe, M.D.
Last words
T
HESE WERE Holmes’ last words to me in
this world: “This is either the cleverest of ruses, Watson-Smythe, and I am on my way to a final confrontation with my arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty, or, I shall soon set foot in the legendary lost village of Pippidufka.” And with that, he flung open the door of our sitting room, and, taking the stairs two at a time, carpetbag in hand, ever-present deerstalker upon his head, Cavendish tails flapping behind him, flew down and out until all that was left was a faint trail of smoke left by his eternally lit, infernally odiferous calabash. As I stood there watching him leave, I could not help thinking of the events of earlier that evening. Holmes and I had been enjoying a Post-prandial snifter of an exuberant Malmsey, when our housekeep{8}
er knocked, entered, and passed to Holmes a note and a small wooden box. Holmes read the note, then opened the box and removed its contents which appeared to include the following: an old packet of Gauloise’s cigarette papers which were some-what the worse for wear and tear, a silver coin of some sort on a length of rawhide, and a rolled up document on aged parchment, which, when unfurled by Holmes revealed itself to be an antique map with an oddly-shaped symmetrical blank space in its center. Holmes’ reaction was immediate and dramatic. He rushed to his bookshelves, and, after a brief search, drew out one of those large and frayed volumes of arcane lore—of which Holmes was notoriously fond— bound in vellum and calfskin and edged in faded gilting. Holmes flipped through the pages until he seemed to find what he had been searching for. He stood there, transfixed for a moment, and then slammed the book closed. “Well, don’t just stand there,” he barked to the housekeeper, “Bring our guest up immediately!” The housekeeper left and returned a few minutes later with a bearded, rather haggard young man who stood eye-to-eye with Holmes. “Do you know what this is?” Holmes demanded, holding the map up to his guest’s face. “If I am not mistaken,” he responded with an air of nonchalant authority that belied his youthful ap{9}
“WELL, DON’T JUST STAND THERE,” HE BARKED TO THE HOUSEKEEPER, “BRING OUR GUEST UP IMMEDIATELY!” THE HOUSEKEEPER LEFT AND RETURNED A FEW MINUTES LATER WITH A BEARDED RATHER HAGGARD YOUNG MAN WHO STOOD EYE-TO-EYE WITH HOLMES
{ 10 }
A NOTE ABOUT “AI VEI VEI” They are the global village’s most talked about and controversial co-workers. Legend claims “Ai Vei Vei” is a collective hallucination of the Nob Hill Guild of Upstarts “generated” during a particularly lightning-heavy Burning Man festival. While “their” responses to my instructions were often misunderstood, forcing me to spend an enormous amount of time cleaning up after “their” work, I still would like to acknowledge Ai Vei Vei, my visual collorator(s), for “their” help in recreating the visual world of Pippidufka as I imagined it.
{ 31 }
“IT ALL DEPENDS WHO’S TELLING THE TAILLES” “The Compleate Illustrated Lost Folke Tailles of Pippidufka” (also known as The Lost Folke Tailles of Pei Pei Du Fu Kwa and The Lost Folke Tailles of Siddi Ba’aaka) “annotated” and “collected” in a new “translation” by Max Singer, noted “expert in Pippidufkaniana” and author of the best-selling Pippidufka for Dummies are a collection of stories about a small, isolated, backwater village, of unidentifiable geography, and no consequence; inhabited by a mixed and motley group of citizens, of uncertain ethnicity and no importance. It is, literally, a one-horse town: the name of the steed being — variously— Zwaibak, Schloom or Njuki. It all depends who’s telling the “Tailles” “...A VAST CREATIVE, IMAGINATIVE ENTERPRISE...” “These tales have the tone of the Arabian Nights. Max Singer has created an entire universe with his musings which he wants the reader to imagine he re-discovered thumbing through some musty tomes. It’s akin to creating a world like Lord of the Rings, an Arthurian Saga, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. And yet these tales are more down to earth, more folksy, whimsical and funny, which makes them more original. This is a vast creative, imaginative enterprise. An incredible cast of characters.” Dr. Louis Gallo. Professor of English. Radford University { 33 }
THE PIPPIDUFKA SERIES
The Compleate Illustrated Lost Folke Tailles of Pippidufka The Lost Village of Pippidufka [A Sherlock Holmes Mystery]
Pippidufka for Dummies The Besotted Vizier The Cleriks‘ Tailles
The Bishop of Pippidufka The Imam of Siddi Ba’aaka Lady Wu’s Revenge or The Mendicant Monk Of Pei Pei Du Fu Kwa
The Apocryphal Tailles
Pu’ud or The Voice of The Gooseberry God The Golden Shekel of Siddi Ba’aaka Treasure of Pippidufka The Taille of Zwaibak
Luug & Oog
or The Crowning of King Krone
Nipk’s Taille
or The Tax Collector of Pippidufka with Treasure of Pippidufka
TO BE ISSUED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME { 34 }
MAX SINGER
A
WRITER, humorist, political cartoonist & satirist, photographer, designer, illustrator, painter & street artist, whose point of view across creative disciplines is always smart and unique, edgy, hip and often funny as hell. MAX began his rise to obscurity as
an Underground Cartoonist (ala R. Crumb) for the Nola Express in New Orleans. But even those stonedout hippies were clueless as to the meaning of his work. So Max did the right thing, moved to New York & became an award-winning humorist & artist: his work was featured in such disparate publications as New York Newsday, The Atlantic and The New York Times as well as High Times and High Society. He created animated political cartoons for Hard Copy, wrote sketches for SNL and his Homefront Comix was a prescient response to 9/11. Max survived the Dubya years by writing and designing the satirical e-zine “A Scurrilous Rag.” He is author of “The Two Last Wills & Testaments Of Deadwood Dick, The Waters and Other Bedtime Stories from The Future. And One’s The Aprés Life: The Revised Official Users Guide. As well as numerous books of his paintings, street art, typographic art and digital “fotografix”.
{ 35 }
ALSO BY MAX SINGER FICTION ■ The Waters and Other Bedtime Stories from The Future: ■ The Two Last Wills and Testaments Of “Deadwood Dick” ■ “One’s The Aprés Life: The Revised Official New Arrivals Users Guide.” ■ If the chicken was in such a hurry to get to “the other side” why didn’t she just lie down in the middle of the road and wait for a Semi to squash her? And other burning questions HISTORY ■ Forgotten America: A Graphic Narrative of American History [22 Vols.] ■ Forgotten America. Portraits of Americans. A Portrait of America. An Illustrated “Cook’s Tour” of Forgotten American History. Volume One: From Alabama to New York: Volume Two: From North Carolina Tyo Wyoming: ART ■ The @Angstville Chronicles: And Other Non-Linear Ironic Postmodern Graphic Narratives ■ Chawkman Speaks: “Washed Away”: (The Complete 2012 Season) ■ Free Art Project @Angstville. Chawkman’s “Angstville Chronicles” ■ #Masterpieces_of_world_art_2.0 [For The Tik Tok Generation] PHOTOGRAPHY ■ They/Them: Portraits from The Gilded Closet ■ 75 Views of The Chrysler Building ■ The Empty Quarter: A Memoir of My Stay In The French Quarter During The Plague Years 2020–2021 { 36 }
two bIt Dreadful Press* 176 EAST 81ST STREET NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK ZONE IMPROVEMENT PLAN 10028 UNITED STATES PLANET EARTH SOLAR SYSTEM ORION ARM MILKY WAY GALAXY LOCAL GROUP VIRGO SUPERCLUSTER LANIAKEA SUPERCLUSTER THE [A?] UNIVERSE THEMAXYFACTORY@YAHOO.COM SILICON CHIP IDENTIFIER CYBERSPACE *Formerly Penny Dreadful Press {before inflation}
{ 37 }