Two childhood sweethearts, aged six and seven, eloped from Hanover in northern Germany on New Year's Eve, determined to tie the knot under the African sun, police said Monday.
The pair identified as Mika and Anna-Lena "are very much in love and decided to get married in Africa where it is warm, taking with them as a witness Anna-Lena's little sister, aged five," police spokesman Holger Jureczko told AFP.
The idea for the romantic trip began when Mika told the two girls about his recent holiday in Italy, while their families celebrated New Year's Eve together. "From this, the children began to make plans for the future," Jureczko said.
As the first dawn of 2009 broke, the trio started to put these plans into action, packing all the essentials for the journey, including "sunglasses, swimming trunks, a lilo, summer clothes and provisions."

While their parents slept, they left their house in the suburbs of Hanover, walked a kilometre (two-thirds of a mile) up the road to a tram stop from where they took a tram for the central station.
Waiting for a train to the airport, they aroused the attention of a guard who contacted police. Two officers managed to convince the young lovers that they would struggle to get to Africa without money or a plane ticket.
As a consolation, the children were given a special tour of the police headquarters at Hanover station where they were especially taken with the detention cells. Their relieved parents picked them up from the station, the spokesman said, adding: "They can still put their plan into action at a later date."

the headline of this bit of news jumped out at me just a few minutes ago. and my jaw dropped. a couple of 6 & 7 year olds rushing to tie the knot? whaaat? they will seriously be the couple thats gonna be celebrating 60, 70 maybe 80 years of marriage. ha ha ha ha ha

so much for being too young to marry! seems like u're never too young to get married huh?! *winks conspiratorily at p2* hahaha

but at 6 & 7? they're barely in primary school and they're thinking of eloping and marriage! now who was the one that put the idea of the word ELOPE into their naive and innocent little minds? must be too much tv! tsk tsk. i wasnt sure i knew what elope meant when i was at that age. besides, these 2 kids affirm that they are very in love.

i really have to take my hat of to them. when i, being all 21 years of age don't even know what love really means and 2 kids younger than me by 10 over years of age claim that they do know. mhmmm. i'm mind-bogglely befuddely bedazzled.

but though, its weird to want to go to africa to get married just so its warm. childish huh u might think. but these are the same kids that talk of love, eloping and marriage! i'm still pretty stunned by it till now. just imagine. if by hook or crook, by some accidental luck, they managed to get married. they'll have to wait till the girl's 12? before they can have children. but if she does, she'll be the world's youngest mum! and their kids will all be grown up by the time they turn 20ish. and they'll have grandchildren. and great grandchildren. and great-great-grandchildren and so on. whoaaa.

okay i'm getting a little nonsensical here. the point is. "marriage" this one word. it reeks of commitment, love, happiness, probably anxiety, coupled with fear and cold feet. one mention of it and guys run a mile. one mention of it by anxious mums and girls force a smile and go errr. one mention of it and career focused young people my age go "thats crazy! we're not even mature enough to be in a relationship yet!"

powerful eh. how much chaos one word can cause. i've got friends whose friends are getting married, or even already married at my age. and i wonder. is it right to marry so early? sure u get to have children early and stuff but still.. what about all the i wanna try things out myself first? we have yet to see the world and we're offering ourselves to be tied down with a chain to the house? ok apart from those that already found their soul mates and are willing to be tied down with that one person they love, i dont see how anyone else wants to get married so early. saw this quote on tv the other day "when you get married, you don't just marry the person. you marry the person along with his/her family." things wouldnt just be the 2 of you anymore. there'll be the parents-in law and family along with that. decisions cant be made recklessly anymore. basically, things arent that simple anymore. it is generally starting a life together anyways. and who said things are gonna be easy? just ask any married couple after their honeymoon period.

still wanna rush to tie the knot? nah i don't think so. unless you both are settled, stable (as in financially wise not mentally wise. hahaa), and are certainly sure of ur feelings for one another. if not, its gonna be hard to keep the marriage going. marriage, like love, isnt just so simple. its a whole new level all together. and lots of hard work is needed to make things work. haha i sound like aunt agony. maybe i should write in and see if they'll need another writer. *guffaws*