diff --git a/2006/birken/try.sh b/2006/birken/try.sh
index f891c8f0b..15cedb547 100755
--- a/2006/birken/try.sh
+++ b/2006/birken/try.sh
@@ -15,67 +15,26 @@ make CC="$CC" all >/dev/null || exit 1
 # clear screen after compilation so that only the entry is shown
 clear
 
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < adder.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < adder.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
+birken()
+{
+    if [[ "$#" -ne 1 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: birken() requires exactly 1 arg, got: $#" 1>&2
+	return
+    fi
 
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < buffer.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < buffer.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
+    if [[ ! -f "$1" || ! -r "$1" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: $1 not a regular readable file" 1>&2
+	return
+    fi
 
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < computer.tofu (space = next page, q = quit): "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < computer.tofu 2>/dev/null | less -rEXFK
-echo 1>&2
+    read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < $1 (space = next page, q = quit): "
+    echo 1>&2
+    ./birken < "$1" 2>/dev/null | less -rEXFK
+}
 
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < counter.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < counter.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < divider.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < divider.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < lfsr.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < lfsr.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < memory.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < memory.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < multiplier.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < multiplier.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < multiplier2.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < multiplier2.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < oneline.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < oneline.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < shift.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < shift.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < zuse.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < zuse.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
-
-read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./birken < zuse2.tofu: "
-echo 1>&2
-./birken < zuse2.tofu 2>/dev/null
-echo 1>&2
+for f in adder.tofu buffer.tofu computer.tofu counter.tofu divider.tofu lfsr.tofu \
+    memory.tofu multiplier.tofu multiplier2.tofu oneline.tofu shift.tofu zuse.tofu \
+    zuse2.tofu; do
+	
+	birken "$f"
+done