diff --git a/lineshortener.py b/lineshortener.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..022dc04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lineshortener.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+def trimline(line, maxlen=124):
+    """string -> string[]
+
+    Recursively shorten string if it is longer than maxlen. Return list of shortened lines
+
+    If a line cannot be shortened an exception will be thrown.
+
+    Default maxlen comes from the max line length in the original english helpx.txt:
+
+        for f in \#\#current\ patch\ files/EN_orig/SMACX/*; do
+            echo -e "$(LC_ALL=latin1 awk '{print length($0)}' < "$f" |sort -n|tail -n1)\t$f";
+        done | sort -n
+
+    """
+
+    if len(line) <= maxlen:
+        return [line]
+
+    # Find the first space before maxlen and replace with \r\n
+    splitpt = line.rindex(' ', 0, maxlen)
+    before = line[:splitpt] + '\n'
+    after = line[splitpt+1:]
+    tmp = [before]
+    tmp.extend(trimline(after, maxlen))
+    return tmp
+
+def main():
+    import sys
+    filename = sys.argv[1]
+
+    with open(filename, encoding="latin1") as f:
+        lines = f.readlines()
+
+    newlines = []
+    for line in lines:
+        newlines.extend(trimline(line))
+
+    with open(filename, "w", encoding="latin1", newline="\r\n") as f:
+        f.writelines(newlines)
+
+main()