German sayings illustrated by Chicago high school students
Inspired by DW's illustrated German proverbs, US teens set about drawing their own. Eleventh-grade German students at the Chicago Waldorf School shared original illustrations of their favorite German sayings.
Das Auge isst mit (The eye eats as well)
"The eye eats as well" means that how food looks also counts. If food looks disgusting, one is much less likely to want or enjoy it. To visualize this, I decided to draw a blindfolded man consuming gross-looking food with delight while another man looks at him, appalled. (By Helen Murray, 17)
Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst (First come, first serve)
This saying literally means "whoever comes first, mills first." In society, this idea is often taken to an extreme. I wanted to make it clear that being the first to the mill is extremely important to these two men, and as they race towards their destination, life passes them by. Accomplishing one's goals is worthwhile, but let this saying remind you to enjoy the ride. (By Caroline Livaditis, 17)
Schlafende Hunde soll man nicht wecken (Don't wake sleeping dogs)
If you wake a sleeping dog, you will be chased and attacked. I felt the proverb was amazing and needed a good analogy. You might say you'll get rabies from a dog if you are bitten. Similarly, when you wake up old conflicts, you will be infected with old pain and grievances. (By Aiden Zielinski, 17)
Mal den Teufel nicht an die Wand (Don't draw the devil on the wall)
I took this saying to mean "Don't talk about things you don't want to happen." In the first panel, a man thinks about tripping down the stairs. In the next panel, we see him falling down the stairs. In America, we say, "Don't jinx it." Negative thoughts bring about negative outcomes, so choose your attitude. (By Harry Figiel, 17)
Du siehst den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht (You don't see the forest for the trees)
For this picture, I represented the proverb as seeing through the forest. It shows that you don't need to get distracted by details, but can see through the uncertainty, so the bigger picture becomes clear. (By Levi Schneider, 16)
Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt (All that glitters is not gold)
When I looked at this saying, the first thing that came to my mind is how we so often search for happiness in the wrong ways, as opposed to finding it in what is right in front of us. I tried to illustrate this with hands reaching out for bad things that appear beautiful, while the things we really want and need are disguised in less noticeable colors. (By Grace Kahn, 17)
Ein Unglück kommt selten allein (Misfortune seldom comes alone)
I wanted to portray this proverb in a very literal sense. This led me to draw "Die Unglückliche Bande," a group of thugs who bring bad luck wherever they go. Because unlucky things don't always happen all at once in real life, I chose the cartoon style which gives this literally interpreted proverb a comical air. (By Ultra Archer Violet, 17)
Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist des Talers nicht wert (A penny saved is a penny earned)
My proverb means that if you don't appreciate the small things in life, you don't deserve the big ones. This illustration is my interpretation of a man who doesn't appreciate the little things like pennies. But as he wanders further on, he sees a great piece of gold. He attempts to grab the gold, but he can't reach it. He's held back by his disrespect for the small things. (By Andrew Chungbin, 17)
Steter Tropfen höhlt den Stein (Constant dripping wears the stone)
The proverb is a metaphor that tells us that the smallest bit of something over a long period of time can make a significant difference. My drawing shows the dripping of a radiator. After 131 years, the wood floor has deteriorated from the smallest drops. (By Charles Saineghi, 17)
Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein (Those who dig a pit for others will fall in themselves)
This proverb inspired me to carve out the image I wanted to portray. I carved out the white space from a piece of rubber and then used black and white ink to make hand-made block prints. The black and white represent the fight between good and bad. There often turns out to be a lot of gray space as well. We get to choose our deeds and should anticipate them to come back to us. (By Zosia Nowak, 17)