About How the Schildburgers Decided to Build a New Town Hall

Several days passed, and once again the residents of Schilda gathered under the old, dense linden tree: they needed to discuss how to begin their jesting so that news of it would spread far and wide across the world.

After much deliberation, they decided that since life in Schilda would now flow along a new course, the first thing to do was to build a new town hall together, using communal funds. And that town hall had to stand on the firmest ground imaginable: no matter what foolishness was spoken within its walls or how much jesting took place, it had to endure!

The idea itself wasn’t entirely foolish or absurd, but the Schildburghers couldn’t dump a whole bag of nonsense on the very first day—people would immediately guess that they were pretending.

Remembering that they had always been clever, the Schildburghers decided to initially conceal their jesting slightly and, over time, when the opportunity arose, unleash it fully. By the way, in deciding to start with the construction of a new town hall, the Schildburghers were following the example of their parish priest.

When this priest was appointed to his position, the first thing he demanded was that a new pulpit be built in the church, and from the strongest oak, lest it collapse under the weight of the sharp-tongued remarks with which the holy father loved to spice up his sermons while proclaiming the word of God.

The Schildburghers greatly rejoiced at their wise decision and immediately set to work without delay, vowing not to abandon their plan and to build the town hall right up to its ridge.

More fairy tales

• How the Schildburgers Prepared Chambers in Their Town Hall
• The Silver Bell
• What Lesson the Emperor Gave to the Schildburgers
• What Gift the Schildburgers Presented to the Emperor
• How the Schildburgers Built a New Town Hall and What They Forgot in the Process