From Cologne, a thought-provoking train ride took me south along the river Rhine. My first destination in the search for the missing blue led me to the first possible crime scene: Passau, the picturesque town at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz. Here, I thought, I would find the first clues. But as every good detective knows, you first start with a thorough inspection of the site.
I was told that I would meet the city’s greatest thinker in the pedestrian zone. I was hoping that he could help me think about this strange case. Unfortunately, he turned out to be quite inflexible. He was completely useless. Holy stripes!
Just a few steps away, my tiger eyes widened in horror! Apparently, elderly people were being held captive here and kept in kennels. I would deal with this blatant violation of human rights as soon as I had closed the case of the missing Blue. I can’t stand it in my plush head!
The Cathedral – A Musical Eye-Opener
I continued my visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, famous for the largest cathedral organ in the world. Of course, I first checked whether the cathedral might contain any clues to the lost blue. The impressive ceiling paintings offered all kinds of colors, but not a single one that struck me as suspicious.
During a demonstration of the famous organ, I imagined how the blue of the Danube was once accompanied by such splendor. “Maybe I should approach the investigation musically“, I murmured, which caused an elderly lady next to me to look disturbed. No matter! “I should follow this trail in Vienna, where Johann Strauss wrote his famous waltz about the beautiful blue Danube“, I said to myself and enjoyed the rest of the little concert.
The Three Rivers Corner – Three Colors, no Blue
Next I went to the three-river corner. This is where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet, each river with its own color. “A parade of individuality“, I thought. But when I looked more closely, I noticed that the Danube seemed strangely colorless. The Inn was greenish, the Ilz a mysterious black – but the Danube? A pale gray, like a river that couldn’t make up its mind.
I held my magnifying glass into the water and watched the current. “Suspiciously calm“, I muttered. “Too calm.” Two ducks looked at me and quacked amusedly. “Ducks!“, I exclaimed annoyed. Ducks kept chasing me. Holy stripes! I would have to investigate that at some point.
A Hairy Dinner
After a long day of detective work, I decided to recharge my batteries in the “Bayerischer Löwe” beer garden, even though the name of the place aroused my suspicions. Lions – those long-haired show-offs. They think they are the kings of the animals, but in reality they just sit around and bask in the admiration of all those who don’t know any better. “They’re just hippies with bad hair“, I thought.
Despite my aversion, I ordered a pint of beer and a grilled duck. “Ha!” I exclaimed triumphantly, “This one is not following me anymore. Hehe!” The waiter looked disturbed and I explained to him: “A detective can’t follow a trail when he’s hungry.” He was obviously less impressed by my logic than I was.
At least there were no lion hairs in the food – that was positive.
While I was eating, I observed the other guests. Were they just tourists, or was an accomplice of the blue thief hiding among them? A man with a blue scarf particularly caught my eye. But when he took off the scarf, my theory was destroyed – the scarf was green inside.
I retreated to my hotel room with mixed feelings. The cathedral was impressive, the Three Rivers Corner fascinating, and the roasted duck a solid 8/10. But the blue? It remained missing. “Don’t worry“, I murmured, “René from Tiger never gives up!” With this determination, I pulled up my duvet, because I had to be rested tomorrow, ready to continue the fight against the disappearance of the important color.
As a storm raged in the night sky, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
You must be logged in to post a comment.