Line #18 Literature/BurglarBill


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burglarbill.jpg]]
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3	''Burglar Bill'' is a 1977 children's book by husband and wife team Janet and Allan Ahlberg.
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5	As his name implies, Burglar Bill is a burglar. Everything in his house, from the toast he eats for breakfast to the bed he sleeps in, is stolen. Then one night, he accidentally steals a baby - and his life changes forever.
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8	!!Tropes Include:
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10	* AccidentalKidnapping: Bill steals a box with holes in it, and only discovers that there's a baby inside when he gets home.
11	* AffablyEvil: Bill and Betty are both nice people, despite being criminals.
12	* AlliterativeName: Burglar Bill and Burglar Betty. Burglar Bill later becomes Baker Bill.
13	* BlatantBurglar: Both Bill and Betty wear {{Domino Mask}}s, black and white striped shirts and in Bill's case, a flatcap. They even wear these when they ''return'' their stolen goods. In fact, there's [[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/decoding-the-classic-burglar-outfit a theory]] that Bill may have been the TropeCodifier for this version of the burglar outfit.
14	* CharacterCatchphrase: "That's a nice (insert object of choice): I'll have that."
15	* TheDiaperChange: Bill is forced to change the baby's nappy. Apart from being forced to use an old towel (since he doesn't have any more nappies), he doesn't do too bad a job.
16	* EmpathyPet: Bill's cat appears in many of the pictures, usually reflecting Bill's emotions.
17	* FooledByTheSound: After Burglar Bill has stolen a big brown box with little holes in it, he suddenly hears a noise that sounds like police cars. When he realises it is coming from the box, he opens it, to discover a crying baby.
18	* HeelFaceTurn: After realising what bad people they are, Bill and Betty return everything they've ever stolen over the years, and become honest citizens.
19	* HeelRealization: Both Bill and Betty undergo one.
20	* JarPotty: Bill has a stolen chamber pot under his bed, labelled "HMS Eagle". He is later seen returning it through the porthole.
21	* MugshotMontage: Bill's mugshot showing his front and side view is displayed on his bedroom wall.
22	* OhCrap: Bill gets one when he realises that he's being burgled.
23	%%* SnowMeansLove: It is snowing when Bill takes Betty home.
24	* StickyFingers: Played for laughs (to adults) in that many of the things Bill steals are not particularly valuable, such as toothbrushes, tins of beans, a policeman's helmet.
25	* SymbolMotifClothing: The distinctive stripes of Bill's burglar outfit appear on his hatband at his wedding; it is no coincidence that his cat is black and white striped.
26	* ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine: Bill learns how it feels to have someone break into your house and steal from you. Likewise, Betty learns how it feels to have someone take something precious from you.
27	* VillainProtagonist: Bill is a pretty nice guy, but he's still a burglar who goes around stealing from others.
28	* WantedPoster: When Burglar Bill returns the policeman's helmet through the police station window, his own "Wanted" poster is on the wall.

Context Literature / BurglarBill