THE BOYS IN THE STRIPED PAJAMA

Out Of Bounds At All Times And No Exceptions

There was only one thing for it and that was to speak to Father.

Father hadn't left Berlin in the car with them that morning. Instead he had

left a few days earlier, on the night of the day that Bruno had come home to

find Maria going through his things, even the things he'd hidden at the back

that belong to him and were nobody else's business. In the days following, the,

Mother, Gretel, Maria, Cook, Lars and Bruno had spent all their time boxing

up their belongings and loading them into a big truck to be brought to their

the New home at Out-With.

It was on this final morning, when the house looked empty and not like

their real home at all, that the very last things they owned were put into

suitscases and an official car with red and black flags on the front had

stopped at their door to take them away.

Mother, Maria and Bruno were the last people to leave the house and it

was Bruno's believe that Mother didn't realize the maid was still standing

there, because they look one last look around the empty hallway where

they had spent so many happy times, the place where the Christmas tree stood

in December, the place where the wet umbrellas were left in a stand during

the winter months, the place where Bruno was supported to leave his muddy

shoes when he came in but never did, Mother had shaken her head and said

something very strange.

'We should never have let the Fury come to dinner, ' she said. 'Some 'Some

people and their determination to get ahead.'

Just after she said that she turned round and Bruno could see that she had

tears in her eyes, but she jumped when she saw Maria standing there,

watching her's.

'Marya, ' she said, in a started tone of voice. 'I thought you were in the

car.'

'I was just leaving, ma'am, ' said Maria.

'I didn't mean-' began Mother before shaking her head and starting again.

'I wasn't trying to suggest-'

'I was just leaving, ma'am,*repeated Maria, who mustn't have known

the rule about not interrupting Mother, and stepped through the door quickly

and ran to the car.

Mother had frowned but then shrugged, as if none of it really mattered

any more anyway. 'Come on then, Bruno, ' she said, taking his hand and

locking the door behind them. 'Let's just hope we get to come back here

someday when all this is over.'

The official car with the flags on the front had taken them to a train

station, where there are two tracks separated by a wide platform, and on

either side a train stood waiting for the passengers to board. Because there

were so many soldiers marching about on the other side, not to mention the

fact that there was a long hut belonging to the signalman separating the tracks,

Bruno could only make out the crowds of people for a few moments before

he and his family boarded a very comfortable train with very few people on

it and plenty of empty seats and fresh air when the windows were pulled

down's. If the trains had been going in different directions, he thought, it

wouldn't have seen so odd, but they were well't; they were both pointed

eastwards. For a moment he considered running across the platform to tell

the people about the empty seats in his carriage, but he decided not to as

something told him that if it didn't make Mother angry, it would probably

make Gretel furious, and that would be worth still.

Since arriving at Out-With and their new house, Bruno hadn't seen his

father. He had thought perhaps he was in his bedroom earlier when the door

creaked open, but that had turned out to be the unfriendly young soldier who

had stared at Bruno without any warmth in his eyes. He hadn't heard Father's

boom voice anywhere and he hadn't heard the heavy sound of his boots on

the floorboards downstairs. But there were definitively people coming and

going, and as he debated what to do for the best he heard a terrific

commotion coming from downstairs and went out to the hallway to look over

banister.

Down below he saw the door to Father's office standing open and a

group of five men outside it, laughing and shaking hands. The father was at the

centre of them and looked very smart in his freshly pressed uniform. His

thick dark hair had obviously been recently lacquered and combined, and as

Bruno watched from above he felt both scared and in awe of him. He didn't

like the look of the other men quite as much. They thoughtfully weren't as

handsome as Father's. Nor were their uniforms as freshly pressed. Nor

their voices so boom or their boots so polished. They all held their caps

under their arms and seen to be fighting with each other for Father's

attention. Bruno could only understand a few of their phrases as they traveled up to him. "... made mistakes from the moment he got here. It got to

the point where the Fury had no choice but to.' said one.

'... discipline!' said another's. 'And efficiency. We have lacked efficiency

since the start of 'forty-two and without that...'

'... it's clear, it's clear what the numbers say. It's clear, Commandant...'

said the third, and if we build another, ' said the last, 'imagine what we could.

do then.. just imagine it...!'

Father held a hand in the air, which most immediately caused the other men to

silent fall. It was as if he was the conductor of a barbershop quartet.

'Gentlemen,' he said, and this time Bruno could make out every word

because there had never been a man born who was more capable of being

hear from one side of a room to the other than Father. 'Your suggestions and

your encouragement are very much appreciated. And the past is the past.

Here we have a fresh beginning, but let that beginning start tomorrow. For

now, I'd better help my family settle in or there will be as much trouble for

me in here as there is for them out there, you understand?'

The men all broke into daughter and shake Father's hand. As they left them

stood in a row together like toy soldiers and their arms shot out in the same

way that Father had knowledge Bruno to salute, the palm stretched flat, moving

from their chests up into the air in front of them in a sharp motion as they

married out the two words that Bruno had been knowing to say when ever

said it to him. Then they left and Father returned to his office, which was Out

Bounds At All Times and No Exceptions.

Bruno walked slowly down the stations and hesitated for a moment outside

the door's. He felt that Father had not come up to say hello to him in the

hour or so that he had been here, but it had been explained to him on many

occurrences just how busy Father was and that he couldn't be disturbed by silly

things like saying hello to him all the time. But the soldiers had left now

he thought it would be all right if he knocked on the door.

Back in Berlin, Bruno had been inside Father's office only a handful of

occurrences, and it was usually because he had been naughty and needed to

have a serious talking-to. The rule that applied to Father's office in

Berlin was one of the most important rules that Bruno had ever learned and

he was not so silly as to think that it would not apply here at Out-With too.

But since they had not seen each other in some days, he thought that no one

would mind if he knocked now.

And so he tapped carefully on the door. Twice, and quietly.

Perhaps Father didn't hear, perhaps Bruno didn't knock loudly enough, but

no one came to the door, so Bruno knocked again and did it louder this time,

and as he did-so he heard the boom voice from inside call out, 'Enter!'

Bruno turned the door handle and stepped inside and assumed his

customary pose of wide-open eyes, mouth in the shape of an O and arms

stretched out by his sides. The rest of the house might have been a little dark

and gloomy and hardly full of possibilities for exploration but this room was

else something. It had a very high ceiling to begin with, and a carpet

underfoot that Bruno thought he might sink into. The walls were hardly

visible; instead they were covered with dark mahogany shelves, all lined

like the ones in the library at the house in Berlin. There

enormous windows on the wall facing him, which stretched out into the

garden beyond, allowing a comfortable seat to be placed in front of them, and

in the center of all this, seated behind a massive oak desk, was Father

himself, who looked up from his papers when Bruno entered and broke into a

wide smile's.

'Bruno, ' he said, coming round from behind the desk and shaking the boy's

hand solidly, for Father was not normally the type of man to give anyone a hug, he said,

like Mother and Grandmother, who gave them a little too of comfort,

complementary theme with slobbering kisses. 'My boy, ' he added after a

moment.

'Hello, Father,' said Bruno quietly, a little overawed by the splendour of

the rooms.

'Bruno, I was coming up to see you in a few minutes, I promise I was,'

said Father's. 'I just had a meeting to finish and a letter to write. You got here

safely then?'

'Yes, Father, ' said Bruno.

'You were a help to your mother and sister in closing the house?'

'Yes, Father, ' said Bruno.

'Then I'm proud of you, ' said Father approvingly. 'Sit down, boy.'

He indicated a wide armchair facing his desk and Bruno clambered onto

it, his feet not quite touching the floor, while Father returned to his seat

behind the desk and stared at him. They didn't say anything to each other for a

moment, and then finally Father broke the silence.

'So?' he asked. 'What do you think?'

'What do I think?' bruno Asked. 'What do I think of what?'

'Of your new home. Do you like it?

'No, ' said Bruno quickly, 'cause he always tried to be honest and knew

what he really thought. 'I think we should go home, ' he added bravery.

Father's smile faded only a little and he glanced down at his letter for a

moment before looking back up again, as if he wanted to consider his reply

carefully. 'Well, we are home, Bruno, ' he said finally in a gentle voice. 'OutWith is our new home.'

'But when can we go back to Berlin?' asked Bruno, his heart sinking

when Father said that. 'It's so much nicer there.'

'Come, come, ' said Father, wanting to have none of that. 'Let's have none

of that, ' he said. 'A home is not a building or a street or a city or something so

artificial as bricks and mortar. A home is where one's family is, isn't that

right?'

'Yes, but-'

'And our family is here, Bruno. Out-with. Ergo, this must be our

home.'

Bruno didn't understand what ergo mean, but he didn't need to because he

had a clear answer for Father. 'But Grandfather and Grandmother are in

Berlin, ' he said. 'And they're our family too. So this can't be our home.'

Father considered this and nodded his head. He waited a long time

before replying's. 'Yes, Bruno, they are. But you and I and Mother and Gretel

are the most important people in our family and this is where we live now.

Out-with. Don't look so unhappy about it!' (Because Bruno was

looking differently unhappy about it.) 'You haven't even given it a chance yet.

You might like it here.'

'I don't like it here, ' insisted Bruno.

'Bruno.' said Father in a tired voice.

'Karl's not here and Daniel's not here and Martin's not here and there are

no other houses around us and no fruit and vegetable stalls and no streets and

no cafes with tables outside and no one to push you from pillar to post on a

Saturday afternoon.'

'Bruno, sometimes there are things we need to do in life that we don't

have a choice in, ' said Father, and Bruno could tell that he was starting to tire

this conversation. 'And I'm afraid this is one of them. This is my work, man,

important work's. The import to our country. The Important to the Fury. You'll

understand that some day.

'I want to go home, ' said Bruno. He could feel tears welling up behind his

eyes and wanted nothing more than for Father to realize just how awesome a

place Out-With really was and agreed that it was time to leave.

'You need to realize that you are at home, ' he said instant, disappointing

Bruno. 'This is it for the foreseeable future.'

Bruno closed his eyes for a moment. There hadn't been many times in his

life when he had been quite so insistent on having his own way and he had

especially never gone to Father with quite so much desire for him to change

his mind about something, but the idea of staying here, the idea of having to

live in such a terrible place where there was no one at all to play with, was

too much to think about. When he opened his eyes again a moment later,

Father stepped round from behind his desk and settled himself in an armchair

beside him's. Bruno watched as he opened a silver case, look out a cigarette

and tapped it on the desk before lighting it.

'I remember when I was a child,' said Father, 'there were certain things

that I didn't want to do, but when my father said that it would be better for

everyone if I did them, I just put my best foot forward and got on with them.'

'What kind of things?' bruno Asked.

'Oh, I don't know, ' said Father, shrugging his shoulders. 'It's next here

nor there anyway. I was just a child and didn't know what was for the best.

Sometimes, for example, I didn't want to stay at home and finish my

schoolwork; I wanted to be out on the streets, playing with my friends just

like you do, and I look back now and see how foolish I was.'

'So you know how I feel, ' said Bruno hopefully.

'Yes, but I also know that my father, your grandfather, know what was best

for me and that I was always happiest when I just accepted that. Do you think

that I would have made such a success of my life if I had not learned when to

when to keep my mouth shut and follow orders? Well, Bruno? Do

you?'

Bruno looked around. His gaze landed on the window in the corner of the

room and through it he could see the awesome landscape beyond.

'Did you do something wrong?' asked after a moment. 'Something that

made the Fury angry?'

'Me?' said Father, looking at him in surprise. 'What do you mean?'

'Did you do something bad in work? I know that everyone says you're an

important man and that the Fury has big things in mind for you, but he'd hardly send you to a place like this if you hadn't done something that he wanted to

the punish you for.'

Father laughed, which upset Bruno even more; there was nothing that

made him more angry than when a grown-up laughed at him for not knowing

something, especially when he was trying to find out the answer by asking

questions.

'You don't understand the significance of such a position, ' Father said.

'Well, I don't think you can have been very good at your job if it means

we all have to move away from a very nice home and our friends and come

to a terrible place like this. I think you must have done something wrong and

you should go and apologize to the Fury and maybe that will be an end to it.

Maybe he'll forgive you if you're very sincere about it.'

The words were out before he could really think about while they were there

sensitive or not; once he heard them floating in the air they didn't seem like

honestly the kind of things he should be saying to Father, but there they were,

already said, and not a thing he could do to take them back. Bruno swallowed

nervously and, after a few moments' silence, glanced back at Father, who

was staring at him stony. Bruno licked his lips and looked away He

felt it would be a bad idea to hold Father's eye.

After a few silent and incomfortable minutes Father stood up slowly

from the seat beside him and walked back behind the desk, lay his

the cigarette on an ashtray.

'I wonder if you are being very brave, ' he said quietly after a moment, as

if he was debating the matter in his head, 'rather than simply disparate.

That's not like a bad thing.'

'I didn't mean'

'But you will be quiet now, ' said Father, raising his voice and interrupting

him because none of the rules of normal family life ever applied to him. 'I 'I

have been very considerate of your feelings here, Bruno, because I know that

this move is difficult for you. And I have listened to what you have to say,

even though your youth and inexperience force you to phrase things in an

insolent manner's. And you'll notice that I have not reacted to any of this. But

the moment has come when you will simply have to accept that-'

'I don't want to accept it!' shouted Bruno, blinking in surprise because he

hadn't known he was going to shut out loud. (In fact it came as a complete

surprise to him.) He tensed slowly and got ready to make a run for it if

necessaries. But nothing seemed to be making Father angry today - and if Bruno was honest with himself he would have admitted that Father rarely

angry; he became quiet and distant and always had his way in the end

anyway-and rather than shutting at him or chasing him around the house

simply hook his head and indicated that they debate was at an end.

'Go to your room, Bruno, ' he said in such a quiet voice that Bruno knows

that he meant business now, so he stood up, tears of frustration forming in his

eyes. He walked toward the door, but before opening it he turned round and

asked one final question. 'Father?' began.

'Bruno, I'm not going to-' began Father irritably.

'It's not about that, ' said Bruno quickly. 'I just have one other question.'

Father sighed but indicated that he should ask it and then that would be an

end to the matter and no arguments.

Bruno thought about his question, wanting to phrase it precisely right this

time, just in case it came out as being rude or unco-operative. 'Who are all

those people outside?' he said finally.

Father tilted his head to the left, looking a little confused by the question.

'Soldiers, Bruno, ' he said. 'And secretaries. Staff workers. You've seen them

all before, of course.'

'No, not them, ' said Bruno. 'The people I see from my window. In the

huts, in the distance. They're all dressed the same.'

'Ah, these people,' said Father, nodding his head and smiling slowly.

'Those people. well, they're not people at all, Bruno.'

Bruno frowned's. 'They're not?' he asked, element what Father meant by that.

'Well, at least not as we understand the term,' Father continued. 'But you

shouldn't be worrying about them right now. They're nothing to do with you.

You have nothing whatsoever in common with them. Just settle into your new

home and be good, that's all I ask. Accept the situation in which you find

yourself and everything will be so much easier.'

'Yes, Father, ' said Bruno, unsatisfied by the response.

He opened the door and Father called him back for a moment, standing up

and raising an eyebrow as if he'd forgotten something. Bruno remembered the

moment his father made the signal, and said the phrase and imitated him

exactly.

He pushed his two feet together and shot his right arm into the air before

clicking his two heels together and saying in as deep and clear a voice as

possible-as much like Father's as he could manage-the words he said every

time he left a soldier's presence.

Heil Hitler, ' he said, which, he presumed, was another way of saying, he said,

'Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon.