Figure 1.--.

We were covered with muck after a day's play. The German boy's mum went mad when we got back to his house. He copped for it and then she undressed us both in the porch and took us up and put us in the shower. She gave us some briefs to wear from his cupboard. Even these were different to me as they were patterned and I was used to plain colours but I wasn't complaining. Then she found t-shirts and it's then she pulled out these lederhosen. The boy had been wearing lederhosen while we were out playing, but they were plain brown leather ones and worn whereas these were a sort of grey with green. She'd calmed down a lot now and was chatting away to her son and smiling at me and she held out these lederhosen for me to step into. I couldn't see myself but I felt odd in those clothes and thought everyone else would laugh at me so I started crying--partly because I was tired I suppose. I don't think she understood the problem at all because after comforting me she took the white shirt that had also been on the hangar and offered it to me. She must have thought that I didn't want to wear the lederhosen with a t-shirt, not that I didn't want to wear them at all! Anyway the last I heard of the lederhosen incident was that later on in the evening when the boy's dad got home. They'd obviously told him as he said something to me during the evening meal, in his broken English, about not liking German clothes, but in a friendly way. By this time I'd had enough of it.

German Mother Displeased

The German boy's mum went mad when we got back to his house. He copped for it and then she undressed us both in the porch and took us up and put us in the shower. By the way, that was an odd thing to me about Germany as hardly any English homes had fitted showers then. I was more scared than embarrassed although his mum hadn't smacked me like she had him but I was glad when she'd done with us and took us to his bedroom.

Briefs and T-shirts

She gave us some briefs to wear from his cupboard. Even these were different to me as they were patterned and I was used to plain colours but I wasn't complaining. Then she found t-shirts and it's then she pulled out these lederhosen. I remember she got them from a wardrobe and they were on a hanger.

The Lederhosen

The boy had been wearing lederhosen while we were out playing, but they were plain brown leather ones and worn whereas these were a sort of grey with green. She'd calmed down a lot now and was chatting away to her son and smiling at me and she held out these lederhosen for me to step into. I remember she was chatting away to her son as she did me up and he was putting on a normal pair of blue and white striped denim-type shorts. Once she'd got them on me she held me away and was talking to her son and smiling and I suddenly got the idea that they were laughing at me or that she was making me wear the lederhosen as a punishment or something. In retrospect she was probably thinking it would be nice for me to wear her son's bestclothes after getting mine so dirty but at the time I didn't understand that, especially as we couldn't communicate--although I caught the word “Anglander” a couple of times.

My Reaction

I couldn't see myself but I felt odd in those clothes and thought everyone else would laugh at me so I started crying--partly because I was tired I suppose. I don't think she understood the problem at all because after comforting me she took the white shirt that had also been on the hangar and offered it to me. She must have thought that I didn't want to wear the lederhosen with a t-shirt, not that I didn't want to wear them at all! Anyway I remember shaking my head and getting her to understand--I think by pointing at her son's shorts and so she got me out of them and I swapped into his shorts while he happily put on the lederhosen. He also put on the white shirt and then his mum was pointing at him and saying something like “good” to me, and I must admit they did look good on him, they just weren't for me.

Back to My Host

We had to stay in that afternoon playing cards and then we walked back to the house where I was staying. She'd cleaned up my sandals but the rest of my dirty clothes were in a bag. The older boy and his friend were back from their fishing trip and his aunt was talking away to his mum about our adventures and I'm sure about the lederhosen as her son was still wearing them and she was pointing to them and looking at me and they were all laughing. I thought they were laughing at me again, but the boy I was staying with's mum had her arm round me and was tousling my hair so I don't think they were really and she said something to her son quite angrily so if he was that shut him up.

Evening Meal

Anyway the last I heard of the lederhosen incident was that later on in the evening when the boy's dad got home. They'd obviously told him as he said something to me during the evening meal, in his broken English, about not liking German clothes, but in a friendly way. By this time I'd had enough of it. It had been a long day and I ran out of the room, something I never usually did preferring to take things on, but as I say I couldn't explain myself properly in English that they could understand. Anyway his mum came out and felt my forehead. I probably had caught the sun or something and took me up to bed. That was a difference too. They had huge comfortable duvets unlike the blankets I was used to at home so I was soon sleeping it all off. This reminds me the children in Germany used to drink beer with their evening meal. It was probably very weak but I found it quite a shock, and I didn't like it.

Lederhosen in Germany

Lederhosen or modern leather short pants appeared first in the German state of Bavaria. I'm not sure when they were first worn. I assume they have originated with knee breeches and gradually become shorter. Thus you would assume they probably originated un the 18th Century. There are two types of lederhose, short pants and knicker-like pants. Lederhosen were also worn in rural parts of Austria and Switzerland. They are often associated with the local popular folk music. Boy scouts and other youth groups in those countries, like the Hitler Youth, also sometimes wore them too. Boys in the 1920s-40s wore them much as modern boys wear jeans.

Bill