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The 35th of May; or, Conrad's Ride to the South Seas

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The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas
AuthorErich Kästner
Original titleDer 35. Mai oder Konrad reitet in die Südsee
Translator?
LanguageGerman
GenreChildren's novel
PublisherNew English Library
Publication date
1931
Publication placeGermany
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN978-0-224-60363-8
OCLC123753039

The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas (Der 35. Mai oder Konrad reitet in die Südsee in German, its original language) is a novel by Erich Kästner, first published in 1931.

Plot introduction

The novel is about Conrad, a young boy, who spends each Thursday afternoon with his uncle, Mr. Ringelhuth. One Thursday — it happens to be the 35th of May — they meet Negro Caballo, who is well-versed in German literature, and at the same time, is the best roller skater in the world. Negro Caballo is a black horse that can speak. Together they enter Uncle Ringelhuth's huge wardrobe, which stands in the hallway and end up in a series of fantasy lands, starting with the land of Cockaigne ("free entry — children half price"), followed by a mediaeval castle complete with jousting, an upside-down world in which children send bad parents to reform school, a science fiction nightmare city with mobile phones and moving walkways, and a south sea island. On his return to the real world, Conrad writes a school essay about his experiences.

See also