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. |
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