ENGLISH - Caprichos Daneses

In Argentina, Piet Hein missed his native clime so much
that he made a Great Bear candlestick out of steel wire that
could be lit and remind him of the night sky in Denmark.
The Great Bear can also be seen sketched in many Grook
vignettes and in this Grook:
TO THE GREAT BEAR
May childhood’s old acquaintance
from heaven’s farthest shore
that overcomes time’s breakers
and lasts for evermore
stand lit like candles seven
in winter’s darkest heaven
and shine your peace so pure
The drawing of the little man Kumbel Kumbell with a lyre in
his hand first appears in 1940 as a vignette drawing for the
Grooks. Originally, Piet Hein did not intend to have drawings
with his Grooks – but he did not feel the texts should only
be decorated with roses and other garden treasures as other
illustrators did. So quite soon there was a drawing along
with each Grook he wrote – and this proved to be a popular
combination.
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