The Night of Wishes facts for kids

The Night of Wishes: Or the Satanarchaeolidealcohellish Notion Potion is a German book written by the famous children's author Michael Ende. It was first published in 1989. In 1990, it won a Swiss literary award called "La vache qui lit." The book's original German title is Der satanarchäolügenialkohöllische Wunschpunsch.

What is The Night of Wishes About?

This exciting story takes place on New Year's Eve. Two evil magic users, Beelzebub Preposteror and Tyrannia Vampirella, are in big trouble. They have a contract with the Minister of Pitch Darkness to do a certain number of bad deeds each year. But this year, they haven't done enough evil!

The Evil Plan

Beelzebub and Tyrannia are being watched by animal spies. Beelzebub has a cat named Maurizio, and Tyrannia has a raven named Jacob. Because of these spies, the sorcerers have been careful and haven't caused enough trouble. An official from the devil, Maledictus T. Maggot, threatens them with punishment if they don't meet their evil quota by midnight.

To solve their problem, the sorcerers decide to brew a special drink called the Notion Potion. This potion can grant any wish they make. However, there's a tricky part: if they drink the potion, their wishes will do the exact opposite of what they want. For example, if they wish someone good health, that person will become sick instead. This means they can wish for good things, and the potion will make bad things happen!

The Race Against Time

The story begins at 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Each chapter covers one hour, showing how little time the characters have. The sorcerers must follow a very long recipe to make the potion, but they keep getting in each other's way.

Meanwhile, Maurizio the cat and Jacob the raven must find a way to stop the evil plan. They also have their own problems: Maurizio is very overweight, and Jacob has many health issues.

A Glimmer of Hope

As the animals search for help, they reach a city near a big cathedral. Jacob suddenly remembers a secret weakness of the Notion Potion. If the potion is not completely finished before the first bell rings at midnight, it won't reverse the wishes. Instead, it will grant them exactly as wished!

This means the sorcerers' evil wishes for good things would actually make good things happen. The animals need to make sure a bell rings before the potion is fully drunk.

The Midnight Chime

Jacob realizes that only the real New Year's chime at midnight will work. Maurizio is very excited by this hope, even though Jacob has many doubts. Since the cathedral tower is locked, Maurizio bravely climbs the icy tower from the outside. Jacob, worried about his friend, reluctantly follows him.

They reach the belfry, exhausted, and pass out. When they wake up, they are surprised to see Pope Sylvester I. He appears every year on his name day to ring the bells. Even though it's not midnight yet, he can give them a frozen sound of the midnight chime. For a saint, time and space don't matter!

The Final Challenge

With the help of Pope Sylvester, who allows them to fly back to Villa Nightmare very quickly, the animals manage to put the frozen bell sound into the potion. The magicians begin drinking the potion, wishing the world "all the best" with each sip, thinking they are causing harm.

Just before midnight, they decide to "wish their two pets something good." To their shock, Maurizio and Jacob become completely healthy, and their biggest wishes come true! The magicians are stunned. As the raven and cat escape, the magicians try to curse each other with the potion, but it fails. A few seconds before midnight, they finally understand what happened, but it's too late. The potion is gone, and they fall into a deep sleep.

After midnight, the devil's official, Maledictus T. Maggot, takes away the magicians' souls. Outside, Maurizio and Jacob happily plan their future, watching the sky as the world moves towards a bright future.

Main Characters

Here are the main characters you'll meet in The Night of Wishes:

• Beelzebub Preposteror (German: Beelzebub Irrwitzer) is an evil sorcerer. He is 187 years old, which is quite young for a sorcerer! He is tall and thin, and he wears a poison-green silk dressing gown. He is bald, has big ears, a hooked nose, and a shriveled mouth. He wears thick glasses. His name comes from his patron, the devil Beelzebub.

• Tyrannia Vampirella (German: Aunt Tyti, Tyrannja Vamperl) is an evil money witch. She is almost 300 years old but still very active. She is described as being as wide as she is tall. She wears a yellow evening dress with black stripes and lots of jewelry. Instead of a handbag, she carries a small safe. Her patron is Mammon, the Infernal Minister of Finance.

• Mauricio di Mauro is a young three-colored tomcat. He is a spy for the "High Council of Animals." While living with Preposteror, he has become very round and lazy, forgetting his mission. He first thought Preposteror was kind to animals. Even though he's just a street cat, he dreams of being a famous singer from a noble family.

• Jacob Scribble (German: Jakob Krakel) is an old, pessimistic raven. He is also a spy for the "High Council of Animals," watching Tyrannia Vampirella. He looks quite battered, like a big potato with black feathers. He helps Maurizio understand that Preposteror is truly evil.

• Maledictus T. Maggot (German: Maledictus Made) is an official of the devil. He dresses completely in black, wearing a coat, hat, and gloves. His face is pale, his eyes have no color, and he has no eyelids.

• Pope Sylvester I (German: Silvester I.) is a statue that comes to life every year on New Year's Eve. He rings the cathedral bells at midnight. He is a thin old man wearing a fancy gold coat, a bishop's hat, and a staff. He has bushy white eyebrows and bright blue eyes.

What Does the Title Mean?

The long German word satanarchäolügenialkohöllisch is a portmanteau. This means it's a new word made by blending parts of other words. It combines:

• Satan
• Anarchie (anarchy)
• Archäologie (archaeology)
• Lüge (lie)
• genial (ingenious)
• Alkohol (alcohol)
• höllisch (infernal)

The English title uses a similar blended word: Satanarchaeolidealcohellish. This word combines Satan, anarchy, archaeology, lie, ideal, alcohol, and hellish.

Animated Series

The book was so popular that it inspired an animated TV series called Wunschpunsch.

See also

In Spanish: El ponche de los deseos para niños