The Bread Eaters
- 1942 is almost over. During its last month, all Liesel can think about is Hans, Alex, and Max.
- Perhaps surprisingly, it takes Liesel's mind off things when she goes to read to Frau Holtzapfel.
- They finished The Whistler and are on to The Dream Carrier.
- There are two more parades of Jews.
- Liesel goes to the first one, hoping to see Max, but also knowing that not seeing Max means Max might be free.
- The second parade happens in the middle of December.
- Rudy shows up with a bag of pieces of bread.
- He and Liesel ride their bikes up ahead of Molching, on the road to Dachau.
- They scatter the bread on the road.
- Liesel can hear Rudy's stomach making hungry noises.
- They hide in the bushes and wait.
- The procession is in view.
- A Jew sees a piece of bread and stops to eat it.
- They try to get a better view, but Rudy warns Liesel to be very quiet and still.
- Liesel looks closely at each person and doesn't see Max.
- More Jews stop to pick up the pieces of bread on the road.
- Soon, some of the soldiers notice it, too.
- They see Liesel and Rudy in the bushes and start coming after them.
- They run, each a different way.
- A soldier gets close enough to Liesel to kick her in the back and tell her to stay away.
- After almost an hour, she comes back to where they began.
- Rudy's waiting by their bikes.
- He says, "I told you not to get too close."
- She says, turning around, "Do I have a footprint?" (66.47).