The Adventurous Simplicissimus · Chapter
XXIX: How a Notably Pious Soldier Fared in Paradise, and How the Huntsman Filled His Place explained
Simplicissimus serves a miserly, pious dragoon who is sent to guard a convent called Paradise.
What happens
Simplicissimus serves a miserly, pious dragoon who is sent to guard a convent called Paradise. There, Simplicissimus enjoys good food, learns hunting and fencing, and gains favor with the nuns for his singing and lute playing. When his master dies of fever, Simplicissimus inherits his position and money, becoming the new 'little huntsman.'
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the story's dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of Simpl…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Greed and Money
The dragoon's miserliness and hoarding of ducats contrast with Simplicissimus's opportunistic trading of found goods.
- Deception and Appearance
Simplicissimus's fine green coat and gentlemanly bearing lead the nuns to mistake him for nobility, despite his lowly service.
- Fortune and Fate
Simplicissimus's luck turns from suffering to comfort at Paradise, and he inherits his master's wealth and position.
Characters to notice
- Simplicissimus
Serves a miserly dragoon, enjoys life at Paradise convent, learns hunting and fencing, and inherits his master's position.
- The Huntsman of Soest
The convent's huntsman teaches Simplicissimus hunting arts; Simplicissimus becomes known as the 'little huntsman.'
Key passages
“Old Miserly lies here, a soldier brave and good, Who all his lifetime through shed ne'er a drop of blood.”
The epitaph for the dragoon mocks him as a miserly soldier who never fought.
Simplicissimus writes this epitaph after his master dies.
“There is no devil in hell with such a name.”
The muster-clerk cannot spell Simplicissimus's name and curses it.
Simplicissimus cleverly retorts about the clerk's own name, winning the captain's favor.
