Kindergrübber is a 2010-introduced and fiction-only character. She is a witch and a teacher at Monster High. Her class is Home Ick and she's very particular about her students following her instructions to the letter, though she has a soft spot for students who show extraordinary skill. Prior to becoming a teacher, she ran a boarding house. Because she still has the room for it, she still accepts tenants these days, but only under special circumstances. For instance, among those staying with her are Hoodude Voodoo and Robecca Steam, students who otherwise have nowhere else to go.
Character[]
Personality[]
Ms. Kindergrübber is a strict lady who rolled into teaching due to the high frequency of times people consulted her when she was self-employed. Kindergrübber is a very strict and impatient teacher, insisting that her students do everything exactly like she does immediately. On the other hand, she does not hide her admiration for students when they surpass her in any home ick subject, such as Frankie Stein in sewing and Deuce Gorgon in cooking. In fact, Deuce is the only one of her students Kindergrübber allows to use recipes not taught by her. Kindergrübber's sight is limited, but she makes up for it with excellent hearing and smell.
Before becoming a teacher, Kindergrübber ran a Bed & Breakfast. She still lives in a big house and therefore has room for her two 'adoptees': Robecca Steam and Hoodude Voodoo. Robecca used to be a guest at Kindergrübber's but came to live with her permanently sometime after her father disappeared a hundred years ago. It was Kindergrübber who convinced Robecca to enroll at Monster High. Hoodude became a permanent house member as well via a request of the Steins, who couldn't afford to keep him under their roof because he made Frankie feel uncomfortable. Kindergrübber dotes on him.
Appearance[]
She is an elderly woman with light skin, pale blue eyes, and a wart on her chin. She has on large round glasses with a black frame, a pale green scarf around her head, a black dress with patchwork on it, and a blue skirt under the dress, and has on a pink ripped-up apron. She also has silver hair and red painted nails.
Classic Monster[]
Ms. Kindergrübber is (based on) the cannibalistic witch from the German fairytale, Hansel and Gretel. In the story, Hansel and Gretel, who are siblings, are left alone in the woods to fend for themselves. Almost starving, the two children come across a house made from various kinds of confectionery and begin eating from it. After only a few bites, though, the house's owner comes outside and reveals herself to be of evil intent. She locks up Hansel to fatten him up for a grand meal and forces Gretel into slavery. The witch can't see very well, though, and thus requires Hansel to stick out his finger so she can feel if he's fat enough already. Instead, Hansel sticks out either a bone or small twig, keeping the witch from eating him. This goes well for a while, but one day the witch loses her patience and orders Gretel to prepare the oven. Gretel fakes incompetence and lures the witch in front of the oven to show her what to do. Gretel pushes the witch in and lets her burn to her death for her crimes as soon as the situation is right.
Ms. Kindergrübber's connection to the witch from Hansel and Gretel is revealed mostly in Frankie Stein's Home Ick survival guide. It is explained that Kindergrübber doesn't like to check if a student's oven is hot enough to start baking, as it "totally freaks her out for some reason". Equally, Frankie advises against picking "the life-size gingerbread house as [a] project, because for some reason Ms. K. is really, really picky about how it needs to be done". Frankie also notes how Kindergrübber came to be a teacher, stating that "Ms. Kindergrübber began her career in the Home Ick sciences when it was just a cottage industry. Eventually though, so many students found themselves on the path to her sweet little place in the country that she found herself pushed into teaching." Lastly, it is confirmed that Kindergrübber "does not see very well", while the fact she excels in baking Black Forest cake hints at her German origins.
Fiction[]
Books[]
After greeting Robecca, who until recently lived with her, Kindergrübber has her students make Crispy Tongue Soup for Home Ick. She grades Three-Headed Freddie's soup the highest. [Source]
Comics[]
Annoyed that Draculaura enters her class late, Kindergrübber shows no mercy when the girl faints at hearing they'll be making Finger Sandwiches that day and gives her a C+. The next day she doesn't endear Draculaura to her either, as she is late again. Nonetheless, Draculaura gets through the assignment of baking cookies and Kindergrübber offers to grade them first so Draculaura can check up on the decor for a soap opera she's been working hard on. She shares the cookies with the rest of the class, but while she finds them delicious, their taste is off. As the other students, many of the actors in Draculaura's soap opera, follow after her, Kindergrübber goes through the ingredients left behind and finds reverserum from the medical room. She creates an antidote and makes her way to the clawditorium, where Draculaura is trying to figure out why nearly all her actors suddenly have stage fright. Amused, Kindergrübber hands out the antidote and explains what she figures must've happened due to Draculaura overworking herself. Taken aback, Draculaura concedes she should've been more mindful of her own well-being and Kindergrübber rewards her with a good grade for the cookies because they did taste good. [Stage Fright]
Notes[]
- "Kindergrübber" is German for "childdigger" or "childsearcher".