Timm Thaler (novel)

Timm Thaler oder Das verkaufte Lachen (roughly translated as Timm Thaler, or the Traded Laughter and best known as simply Timm Thaler) is a 1962 children's novel by German author James Krüss. Regarded by the Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature as Krüss' best known children's book, Timm Thaler tells the story of a boy who trades his enchanting laughter to a wealthy mysterious Mephistopheles-like Baron in exchange for the ability to win any bet he makes. Regretting the exchange, he undertakes a four-year journey to win his laughter back. In 1979, Krüss wrote a sequel novel, Timm Thalers Puppen oder Die verkaufte Menschenliebe (roughly translated as Timm Thaler's Puppets, or the Traded Love for Mankind).

The popular story was subsequently adapted into a 13-part German children's television miniseries in 1979, and again, as a 2-part Soviet musical television movie in 1981. The story was later re-adapted into an animated German television series in 2002.

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