Out of the Hitler Time trilogy: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Bombs on Aunt Dainty, A Small Person Far Away. Judith Kerr

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      “Munich,” said the boy.

      “We used to live in Berlin,” said Anna.

      “Gosh,” said the boy, “Berlin must be marvellous.”

      They all played chase together. It had never been much fun before because there had only been four of them – (Trudi did not count because she could not run fast enough and always cried when anyone caught her). But the German children were both very quick on their feet and for the first time the game was really exciting. Vreneli had just caught the German boy, and he caught Anna, so now it was Anna’s turn to catch someone and she chased after the German girl. They raced round and round the courtyard of the inn, doubling back and forth and leaping over things until Anna thought she was just going to catch her – but all at once her path was blocked by a tall thin lady with a disagreeable expression. The lady appeared so suddenly, apparently from nowhere, that Anna was barely able to stop and almost collided with her.

      “Sorry,” she said, but the lady did not reply.

      “Siegfried!” she called shrilly. “Gudrun! I told you you were not to play with these children!” She grabbed hold of the German girl and pulled her away. The boy followed, but when his mother was not looking he made a funny face at Anna and waved his hands apologetically. Then the three of them disappeared into the inn.

      “What a cross woman,” said Vreneli.

      “Perhaps she thinks we’re badly brought up,” said Anna.

      They tried to go on playing chase without the German children, but it was no good and ended in the usual shambles, with Trudi in tears because she had been caught.

      Anna did not see the German children again until the late afternoon. They must have been shopping in Zurich for they were each carrying a parcel and their mother had several large ones. As they were about to go into the inn Anna thought this was her chance to show that she was not badly brought up. She leapt forward and opened the door for them.

      But the German lady did not seem at all pleased. “Gudrun! Siegfried!” she said and pushed her children quickly inside. Then, with a sour expression and keeping as far away from Anna as possible, she squeezed past herself. It was difficult because of the parcels which nearly stuck in the doorway, but at last she was through and disappeared. With never a word of thanks thought Anna – the German lady was badly brought up herself!

      The next day she and Max had arranged to go up into the woods with the Zwirn children, and the day after that it rained, and the day after that Mama took them to Zurich to buy them some socks – so they did not see the German children. But after breakfast on the following morning when Anna and Max went out into the yard, there they were again playing with the Zwirns. Anna rushed up to them.

      “Shall we have a game of chase?” she said.

      “No,” said Vreneli, looking rather pink. “And anyway you can’t play.”

      Anna was so surprised that for a moment she could think of nothing to say. Was Vreneli upset about the red-haired boy again? But she hadn’t seen him for ages.

      “Why can’t Anna play?” asked Max.

      Franz was as embarrassed as his sister.

      “Neither of you can,” he said and indicated the German children. “They say they’re not allowed to play with you.”

      The German children had clearly not only been forbidden to play but even to talk to them, for the boy looked as though he wanted to say something. But in the end he only made his funny apologetic face and shrugged.

      Anna and Max looked at each other. They had never met such a situation before. Then Trudi who had been listening suddenly sang out, “Anna and Max can’t play! Anna and Max can’t play!”

      “Oh, shut up!” said Franz. “Come on!” and he and Vreneli ran off towards the lake with the German children following. For a moment Trudi was taken aback. Then she sang out one last defiant “Anna and Max can’t play!” and scampered after them on her short legs.

      Anna and Max were left standing.

      “Why aren’t they allowed to play with us?” asked Anna, but Max didn’t know either. There seemed nothing to do but wander back to the dining room where Mama and Papa were still finishing breakfast.

      “I thought you were playing with Franz and Vreneli,” said Mama.

      Max explained what had happened.

      “That’s very odd,” said Mama.

      “Perhaps you could speak to the mother,” said Anna. She had just noticed the German lady and a man who must be her husband sitting at a table in the corner.

      “I certainly will,” said Mama.

      Just then the German lady and her husband got up to leave the dining room and Mama went to intercept them. They met too far away for Anna to hear what they said, but Mama had only spoken a few words when the German lady answered something which caused Mama to flush with anger. The German lady said something more and made as though to move off. But Mama grabbed her arm.

      “Oh no, it isn’t!” shouted Mama in a voice which echoed right across the dining room. “It’s not the end of it at all!” Then she turned on her heel and marched back to the table while the German lady and her husband went out looking down their noses.

      “The whole room could hear you,” said Papa crossly as Mama sat down. He hated scenes.

      “Good!” said Mama in such ringing tones that Papa whispered “Ssssh!” and made calming motions with his hands. Trying to speak quietly made Mama angrier than ever and she could hardly get the words out.

      “They’re Nazis,” she said at last. “They’ve forbidden their children to play with ours because our children are Jewish!” Her voice rose higher in indignation. “And you want me to keep my voice down!” she shouted so that an old lady still finishing breakfast was startled into almost spilling her coffee.

      Papa’s mouth tightened. “I would not dream of allowing Anna and Max to play with the children of Nazis,” he said, “so there is no difficulty.”

      “But what about Vreneli and Franz?” asked Max. “It means that if they’re playing with the German children they can’t play with us.”

      “I think Vreneli and Franz will have to decide who their friends are,” said Papa. “Swiss neutrality is all very well, but it can be taken too far.” He got up from the table. “I’ll have a word with their father now.”

      A little while later Papa returned. He had told Herr Zwirn that his children must choose whether they wished to play with Anna and Max or with the German visitors. They could not play with both. Papa had asked them not to decide in a hurry but to let him know that evening.

      “I suppose they’ll choose us,” said Max. “After all we’ll be here long after those other children have gone.”

      But it was difficult to know what to do with the rest of the day. Max went down to the lake with his fishing rod and his worms and his bits of bread. Anna could not settle to anything. At last she decided to write a poem about an avalanche which engulfed an entire СКАЧАТЬ