"You little brat! If I catch you, I'll kill you!!"
"Oh no, I'm scared!"
Kevin shouted as he dashed to the second-floor window. His nimble movements, like a quick little mouse, left the thief brothers unable to keep up. But the older brother of the two thieves sneered.
'This brat has nowhere left to run, right? Now he's just a rat in a trap!'
Thinking this, the older brother stepped onto the stairs. But at that moment, he slipped and fell. Kevin had smeared oil on the stairs!
(Illustration of the thief brother slipping on the second-floor stairs)
"Brother, over here! The kid's climbing up to the third floor using the wall!"
"You go that way! I'll take care of this side!"
The older brother grabbed some flour from the kitchen and sprinkled it over the oil as he slowly made his way up. He carefully ascended the stairs, now covered with flour that had absorbed the oil.
"Ha ha, you little brat! You think you can get away from us if we corner you…?!"
But just then, as he reached the final step, the older brother found his view suddenly filled with a large hammer, with Kevin's face painted on it.
(Diagram of the hammer trap set up on the second floor)
"Oops."
Thud, thud, thud, thud!!
The older brother, hit squarely by the giant hammer, had to start all over again from the first floor, climbing the oil-soaked stairs once more…
***
Approximately 70 million.
That was the population of the United States in 1895.
And it wasn't a declining number. The census of 1880 had recorded 50 million, and by 1890, the count had reached 63 million. At this rate, sociologists agreed that the population could surpass 100 million within just one generation—a conservative estimate.
After the Civil War, which had ravaged the country during the 1860s, the United States continued to expand its territory and accept more immigrants from various European countries. This caused the nation's population to grow rapidly, almost effortlessly.
While the 1%—the politicians and businessmen—grew fatter on the ever-increasing number of workers and the steadily rising taxes, the remaining 99%—the middle class, citizens, workers, and others lumped together as "commoners"—felt an overwhelming sense of unease about the growing population and expanding territory.
─"I moved west and became a self-sufficient farmer, but… isn't it too desolate here? What if I leave my home and some animal takes my child?"
─"Irish, Krauts, Tonys… All criminals and papal lackeys, aren't they? How are we supposed to raise our kids with them around?!"
─"Even if I work all day, I can't afford the rent. My wife and I both need to work just to scrape by. How are we supposed to leave our kids alone in this gray jungle?"
If only there were reliable law enforcement, things might be different. But in the U.S., the police didn't yet have a "franchise," and though they hadn't evolved into donut-loving fatties, they still primarily served as national Pinkertons—beating down workers and protecting only the "private property" of corporations.
People would sooner trust their lives to the shotgun in their hands and a lead bullet than to those lawmen.
This belief had become second nature to American citizens by then. Those who didn't follow it had long since been mauled to death by fierce grizzly bears or, worse, ruthless capitalists.
In such a time, when citizens could barely manage the thought of raising children, the father of American literature, Mark Twain, bestowed upon them a book.
Kid Kevin's Home Defense.
This fairy tale, with a protagonist named after the strong insistence of Hanslow Jin, initially received reactions no different from those to Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn.
"What's this?"
"A fairy tale? A kid building a secret base in his house… That's pretty ordinary, isn't it?"
"Oh… But there's a thief breaking in?"
"Aha, and Kevin sets traps for him… Oh, wow!"
And then, the reactions exploded.
"Who knew a crossbow was so easy to make?!"
"Aha, so if you sprinkle powder in a sealed space and set it on fire, it explodes?!"
"Water makes electricity more conductive… I see! I have to try this out!!"
Kevin was the son of a scientist father, who was a professor at an Eastern university, and a mother who had been a ranger in the Western mountains.
His parents, with their differing temperaments, were seldom at home, so Kevin spent much of his time alone, turning his house into his secret base.
He used his father's scientific tools and his mother's hunting gear as materials.
As he assembled these items and created booby traps, Kevin's house one day attracted the attention of two thieves looking for money.
When Kevin accidentally overhears their plan to break in, he quickly sets up the booby traps he had prepared and, when the thieves break in during the night while his parents are away, Kevin successfully fends them off by himself.
The next morning, when daylight comes, the thief brothers are arrested by the police, and Kevin's parents realize how neglectful they've been. The story ends with the family reconciling and cleaning up the house together, restoring peace to their home.
Though it might seem like a simple, predictable fairy tale, the author behind it is none other than Mark Twain, the beloved national writer who had already redefined American literature with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The book was highly regarded for its literary value, with its biting critique of the American society that forced parents to leave their children alone, the detailed depiction of the Midwest, and the strong character development of the protagonist, Kevin.
Moreover, the traps in the book were scientifically accurate, thanks to none other than Nikola Tesla, who consulted on the project. The illustrator, hired by the publisher, created drawings (often by blowing up the illustrator's brain in the process) that made the principles behind the traps easy to understand.
Even if someone couldn't read, they could grasp the scientific concepts just by looking at the illustrations.
With all these elements in play, it's no wonder the book became a runaway hit.
"Here, one copy of Kid Kevin, please!"
"I'll take two! I promised to send one to my cousin in the Rockies!"
"So, you're saying these traps are really good enough for military use?"
"Absolutely, General! Especially the methods for starting fires in the wild, making booby traps, and connecting telephone lines. They could be invaluable in saving soldiers' lives in survival situations!"
"Bring me a copy. I was thinking of getting one for my kid anyway."
Of course, there was considerable backlash.
Criticism arose, stating that the content was overly violent, and incidents of electrocution, explosions, and burns became more frequent as people tried to imitate what they read.
But this is America, a land that cherishes freedom and private property.
According to the common law principle known as the "Castle Doctrine," it's perfectly legal to blow the head off any trespasser in one's private space. That was the general mindset of most Americans.
Kevin was even hailed as a symbol of the American frontier, created by Mark Twain, and there was half-serious talk in Congress about naming a self-defense bill the "Kid Kevin's Law."
But this was never what Mark Twain or Nikola Tesla had intended.
"How did it come to this?"
"Do I look like I know? Ugh."
Two of America's most distinguished figures, the famed author and the brilliant scientist, simultaneously held their heads in despair.
No, they weren't entirely oblivious to the tendencies of the American public. After all, they had designed Kevin's character with a nod to frontier spirit, so the public's reaction wasn't entirely off base.
But their main goal was to prompt thoughts like "Wow, doing this can be really dangerous," or "So that's the scientific principle behind this trap!" They never intended for people to replicate it exactly.
Why else would they have made Kevin's parents a scientist father from the East and a mountain guide mother from the West? The former represented Nikola Tesla's enlightenment through science, while the latter reflected Mark Twain's advocacy for women's rights.
Yet, the readers seemed uninterested in these aspects, focusing only on Kevin and the "simple" violence of scientific ingenuity.
"Look at this."
Nikola Tesla, nearly exploding with frustration, pulled out a box. Mark Twain sighed.
"A 'Booby Trap Set, makes it easy for our child.' What on earth is this monstrosity?"
"Do you think this is the only one? There's a chemistry experiment set, an electric device experiment set—damn it, we really underestimated this!"
"Who's making this stuff? We never gave permission for any of this!"
"Who do you think, damn it!!"
As Tesla fumed, Mark Twain flipped the box over and found the logo of the company responsible for its production and distribution.
Boldly stamped was the logo of the Edison General Electric Company. None other than Thomas Alva Edison's company.
Mark Twain looked at the box with a resigned expression.
"Well, I'll be damned. The man didn't even pay us royalties."
"Is that what you're worried about right now?!"
"Calm down, will you?"
Mark Twain glanced at Tesla. Was he angrier because it was Edison? But Twain knew that the rivalry between Tesla and Edison was largely exaggerated.
In truth, the so-called competition between the geniuses of alternating and direct current was a piece of early image marketing, intentionally hyped by Westinghouse Electric and General Electric.
So, the reason for Tesla's outburst wasn't that.
"We need to recall those damn books immediately! The book meant to enlighten people is actually hurting them!"
So many people had been seriously injured while trying to replicate the experiments from the book.
Tesla's meticulous nature couldn't handle the chaos and confusion that had resulted.
But Mark Twain couldn't help but respond to his friend's suggestion with a bitter smile.
"Um, Nick. I hate to say this."
"Then don't!"
"But I have to. That's impossible."
"Why!!"
"Well."
Mark Twain spoke with an expression caught between laughter and tears.
"How do you recall a book that's already sold nearly a million copies?"
"..."
Nikola Tesla fell silent.
One million copies.
Sure, the price was low—only about 50 cents per copy, since it was meant to be a tool for enlightenment. But still, a million copies.
That's a clean $500,000.
Not even the infamous Manhattan financier, J.P. Morgan, let alone a mere scientist like Nikola Tesla, could personally afford such a grand and glorious sum.