From 1858 to 1865 Busch chiefly worked for the Fliegenden Blätter and the Münchener Bilderbogen . The period from 1866 to 1884 is characterized by his major illustrated stories , such as Helen Who Couldn 't Help It . These stories are different in theme from works of his earlier period . The life of his characters start well , but disintegrate , as in Painter Squirtle ( Maler Klecksel ) ; someone sensitive who become a pedant . Others concern recalcitrant children or animals , or make the great or significant foolish and ridiculous . The early stories follow the pattern of children 's books of orthodox education , such as those by Heinrich Hoffmann 's Struwwelpeter , that aim to teach the devastating consequences of bad behaviour . Busch did not assign value to his work , as he once explained to Heinrich Richter : " I look at my things for what they are , as Nuremberg trinkets [ toys ] , as Schnurr Pfeiferen [ worthless and useless things ] whose value is to be found not in its artistic content , but in public demand ( ... ) " .