Oktoberfest

1. Oktoberfest • Look at the cover. Is that a building? • Page 5. Let’s guess who’s who: • Who is the photojournalist? • Who is the detective’s secretary? • Who is the detective? • Who is the old friend? • Who is the bum?

2. Page 5 • Where does Felix live? • What is Felix going to do? • If you know Helmut Müller is a detective, what type of book is this? • Look at the description of Oktoberfest. At the end it talks about waking up with a fat head. What’s that? • Translate the glossary words on pages 6-7

3. Chapter 1, page 9 • Who is speaking on the phone? • Find the line that says: I didn’t recognize your voice right away. • Bea is a secretary, so she’ll say things that secretaries say. She says: Soll ich ihm etwas ausrichten? What’s that mean? • What is the message Alfred leaves? • Look at the note on page 8. What is 15.00?

4. Chapter 2, page 10 • Who is speaking on the phone? • What does Felix want? • What’s the problem? • Is there a place for Felix? • Pension = Bed and Breakfast. • Find the line that says: Please make your own reservations. • What’s different about the address and phone number?

5. Chapter 3, page 10-11 • What is Lufthansa? • Where is the flight to and from? • What time does it land? • S-Bahn = an intercity train • What do you call a Bed and Breakfast in German? • Find the line that says: He puts up his bag, puts on comfy clothes and takes the subway to the festival grounds.

6. Chapter 3, page 11 • What nationalities attend Oktoberfest? • Describe the scene in the beer tent. • Which tent does Felix enter? • Was isst und trinkt Felix?

8. Hofbräuzelt

9. Chapter 4, page 11 • Before we read, where was Felix? • What was he doing? • Now glance through chapter 4 and tell me what’s going on in the chapter? • What are the police asking for? • Where is Felix? • Find the quote that says: You had one liter too many to drink yesterday, eh? • What is Felix missing? What happened?

10. Chapter 6, page 14 • Before we read, what happened to Felix? • Whom does Felix call to talk about what happened? • Now guess what Helmut’s response will be. • When Helmut says he’ll be right there, Felix protests that that wouldn’t be necessary. But what does this mean: Aber aus der Leitung kommt nur ‘Tuuut, Tuuut.’

11. Chapter 7, page 15 • We know that Helmut is on his way and that Felix took some aspirin and slept. • Read the first two paragraphs on page 15 and be prepared to tell me what happened. You have one minute! • We know that Helmut Müller is a detective. The last paragraph on page 15 has him devising a plan.

12. Chapter 7, page 15 • Take one minute to look at the paragraph and get the general idea of Helmut’s plan. • Find the sentence that says “If your story is right, then some kind of gangsters are looking for their victims at Oktoberfest, rob them and bring them to the Isar (river).” • What is Helmut himself going to do? • What is Felix supposed to do?

14. Chapter 8, page 16 • U-Bahn = subway. • Find the sentence that says “the beer tent was just as full as the previous day.” • Bedienungen (see page 7) • Why would Helmut Müller, a German, use the word “Fräulein”? • 10 Mark = $5. It was the “old” money.

16. Chapter 8, page 16 • Find the sentence that says: “He signaled with his wallet that the waitress could keep the change.” • What specifically is Helmut Müller pretending to be? • Are you suspicious yet? • Bottom of 16 describes the scene in the tent. What is going on in the beer tent?

17. Chapter 8, page 17 • Read the paragraph at the top of page 17. Not much going on here. What is Helmut doing and what is Felix doing? • Read the next paragraph. There are a lot of difficult words here, but you should be able to get the gist of the paragraph. What happened to Helmut?

18. Chapter 9, page 18 • This section starts with two people talking. Scan the paragraph just to find out who is talking. (Hint: Beginning of the next section) • Is the bum trying to help Helmut? • What is the bum warning Helmut about? • What does the bum offer to Helmut? You’ll have to guess. • What does the bum look like?

19. Chapter 9, page 18-19 • At the bottom of the first paragraph, what did Helmut discover? • Müller says: I want to go to Berlin. After that, the brief conversation uses a lot of slang. Who says what line? • “No bags?” • “Nope. Stolen.” • What do you think “Keine Kohle” means? You can find out by reading the next line.

20. Chapter 10, page 19 • This is a tough one. Bruno doesn’t own a watch and yet he knows what time it is. How? • The next two paragraphs are very difficult, but we know that Bruno is taking Helmut to a place where he can do “easy work for easy money.” So can you figure out what the work is, how long they work at it and how much they get paid? • Payment is in Marks, which were replaced by the Euro. The book is a bit old.

21. Chapter 10, page 20 • Bruno and Helmut go to a Kiosk. What’s that? • Start reading where it says: “Müller hört nicht zu.” He is trying to remember what happened to him. What does he remember? • Find the line that says: “He touches the back of his head. No bump. Nothing. Everything just like Felix. No wound. Nothing.”

23. Chapter 10, page 20 • Kommste = kommst du • Kollege = buddy • Bruno wants to know if Helmut will meet him at Anna’s. What’s that? (think about what the life of a typical homeless person would include) • Müller wants to meet Bruno, but later in the afternoon. Bruno suggests they meet in the evening. Why?

24. Chapter 11, page 21 • Let’s review. What happened to Helmut? • Remember: Who is Helmut Müller? • Now look at the beginning of the chapter. Find the line that says: I was so worried about you • Who spoke that line? • Helmut goes over the similarities between his experiences and Felix’. List what happened to both of them.

25. Chapter 11, page 21 • What is Felix’ guess as to who is behind all of this? • What is Helmut’s guess? • Why does Helmut deduce that several people must be involved? (Hint: Ich bin schließlich nicht leicht.) • Why does Helmut think Bruno the bum is the key to cracking the case?

26. Chapter 12, page 22 • Let’s review: Whom does Helmut think to be key in solving this case? • Why Bruno? • So what’s your guess at to Helmut’s plan? • Now look at the first paragraph of chapter 12. Whom does Helmut involve in this case? • Why? • List what preparations they made.

27. Chapter 12, page 22 • Next paragraph: Find the line that says: Now in the evening other people meet here: Groups of outsiders, homeless, the failed lives – all who exist on the edge of society. • Next paragraph: What German word does Helmut use for “Buddy”? • Warum haben die drei Decken oder Mäntel?

28. Chapter 12, page 23 • Irgendetwas Merkwürdiges = anything interesting. • What does Helmut want to know from Bruno? • Does Bruno trust Helmut? • Now we need to find what info Bruno the bum gives Helmut. Who? How many? Where? When?

29. Chapter 13, page 24 • Let’s review: Where are Helmut and Felix? • What are they doing there? • Now read the beginning of chapter 13. Where are they hiding? • Why are they hiding? What’s happening? • Find the German word for a flashlight. • Find the sentence that says: They drag stones, branches and a park bench on the path. • So what are they doing?

30. Chapter 13, page 24 • They’re building a barricade. Does it work? • One crook yells: Kannst du nicht aufpassen? Du bist in den Wald gefahren! What do you think that means? • How are they caught? • Why does Bruno leave? • Now you have to solve the mystery. Helmut recognizes one guy. Who is it? • At the top of pg 25, what is Alfred doing?

31. Chapter 14, page 25-26 • Let’s review: How were the crooks caught? • Did we figure out who were the crooks? • Now look at the newspaper headline and the paragraph under the picture for one minute. Helmut is explaining how the whole ruse worked. What can you pick out of his explanation? • At the end of chapter 14, Felix asks to keep the paper. Why?

32. Chapter 15, page 26 • Where does Alfred bring his friends? • What does Felix get back? • What’s there and what isn’t? • Who speaks each line at the end? (last 3 lines)