大どろぼうホッツェンプロッツ/Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

Preußler's storytelling feels both charming and mischievous—I'm curious what influenced his approach to making a villain so lovable and funny.

His antics are so creative that I found myself rooting for him at times. Did others see him as a true villain or more of a lovable rogue?

It has a fairy tale feel but with humorous twists. I'm wondering if Preußler drew inspiration from classic tales or aimed to reinvent the genre for kids.