This article addresses the rhythmical quality of the characters’ speech in Otfried Preußler’s Der Räuber Hotzenplotz (The Robber Hotzenplotz). Typical rhythmic patterns can be identified with regard to all the characters, reflecting their nature and often also their intellectual abilities. Moreover, the rhythm of the characters’ speech repeatedly relates to the content of the scene, sometimes in a supportive and sometimes in a contrasting manner. The catchiness and (re)recognisability of the rhythm support children’s understanding of the text as well as their emotional processing of the narrative. In potentially escalating situations, rhythmic patterns are used to convey order and thus moderate and contain the threat. Because many children encounter The Robber Hotzenplotz orally for the first time, the rhythm of the text becomes all the more relevant.