Pole Poppenspäler: Novelle
 (1874)

by Theodor Storm

"Pole Poppenspäler: Novelle" by Theodor Storm is a novella published in 1874. When a young narrator visits the respected craftsman Paul Paulsen and his dark-eyed wife from southern Germany, he accidentally learns Paulsen's childhood nickname: "Pole the Puppet Player." The old master reluctantly reveals his story—a tale of two children brought together by a traveling puppet theater, a forbidden backstage visit, and a broken marionette that leads to an unforgettable night. Years later, fate reunites them under desperate circumstances.