按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
gandhi is eating again。
the black market is doing a booming business。 if we had enough money to pay the ridiculous prices； we could stuff ourselves silly。 our greengrocer buys potatoes from the 〃wehrmacht〃 and brings them in sacks to the private office。 since he suspects were hiding here； he makes a point of ing during lunchtime； when the warehouse employees are out。
so much pepper is being ground at the moment that we sneeze and cough with every breath we take。 everyone who es upstairs greets us with an 〃ah…choo。〃 mrs。 van d。 swears she wont go downstairs； one more whiff of pepper and shes going to get sick。
i dont think father has a very nice business。 noth ing but pectin and pepper。 as long as youre in the food business； why not make candy？
a veritable thunderstorm of words came crashing down on me again this morning。
the air flashed with so many coarse expressions that my ears were ringing with 〃annes bad this〃 annd 〃van daans good that。〃 fire and brimstone！
yours； anne
wednesday； march 10； 1943
dearest kitty；
we had a short circuit last night； and besides that； the guns were booming away until dawn。 i still havent gotten over my fear of planes and shooting； and i crawl into
fathers bed nearly every night for fort。 i know it sounds childish； but wait till it happens to you！ the ack…ack guns make so much noise you cant hear your own voice。 mrs。 beaverbrook； the fatalist； practically burst into tears and said in a timid little voice； 〃oh； its so awful。 oh； the guns are so loud！〃 …… which is another way of saying 〃im so scared。”
it didnt seem nearly as bad by candlelight as it did in the dark。 i was shivering； as if i had a fever； and begged father to relight the candle。 he was adamant： there was to be no light。 suddenly we heard a burst of machine…gun fire； and thats ten times worse than antiaircraft guns。
mother jumped out of bed and； to pims great annoyance； lit the candle。 her resolute answer to his grumbling was； 〃after all； anne is not an ex…soldier！〃 and that was the end of that！
have i told you any of mrs。 van d。s other fears？ i dont think so。 to keep you up to date on the latest adventures in the secret annex； i should tell you this as well。
one night mrs。 van d。 thought she heard loud footsteps in the attic； and she was so afraid of burglars； she woke her husband。 at that very same moment； the thieves disappeared； and the only sound mr。 van d。 could hear was the frightened pounding of his fatalistic wifes heart。 〃oh； putti！〃 she cried。 （putti is mrs。 van d。s pet name for her husband。） 〃they must have taken all our sausages and dried beans。 and what about peter？ oh； do you think peters still safe and sound in his bed？”
〃im sure they havent stolen peter。 stop being such a ninny； and let me get back to sleep！”
impossible。 mrs。 van d。 was too scared to sleep。
a few nights later the entire van daan family was awakened by ghostly noises。 peter went to the attic with a flashlight and …… scurry； scurry …… what do you think he saw running away？ a whole slew of enormous rats！
once we knew who the thieves were； we let mouschi sleep in the attic and never saw our uninvited guests again。 。 。 at least not at night。
a few evenings ago （it was seven…thirty and still light）； peter went up to the loft to get some old newspapers。 he had to hold on tightly to the trapdoor to climb down the ladder。 he put down his hand without looking； and nearly fell off the ladder from shock and pain。 without realizing it； hed put his hand on a large rat； which had bitten him in the arm。 by the time he reached us； white as a sheet and with his knees
knocking； the blood had soaked through his pajamas。 no wonder he was so shaken； since petting a rat isnt much fun； especially when it takes a chunk out of your arm。
yours； anne
friday； march 12； 1943
dearest kitty；
may i introduce： mama frank； the childrens advocate！ extra butter for the youngsters； the problems facing todays youth …… you name it； and mother defends the younger generation。 after a skirmish or two； she always gets her way。
one of the jars of pickled tongue is spoiled。 a feast for mouschi and boche。
you havent met boche yet； despite the fact that she was here before we went into hiding。 shes the warehouse and office cat； who keeps the rats at bay in the storeroom。
her odd； political name can easily be explained。 for a while the firm gies & co。 had two cats： one for the warehouse and one for the attic。 their paths crossed from time to time； which invariably resulted in a fight。 the warehouse cat was always the aggressor； while the attic cat was ultimately the victor； just as in politics。 so the warehouse cat was named the german； or 〃boche；〃 and the attic cat the englishman； or 〃tommy。〃 sometime after that they got rid of tommy； but boche is always there to amuse us when we go downstairs。
vveve eaten so many brown beans and navy beans that i cant stand to look at them。 just thinking about them makes me sick。
our evening serving of bread has been canceled。
daddy just said that hes not in a very cheerful mood。 his eyes look so sad again； the poor man！
i cant tear myself away from the book a knock at the door by ina bakker boudier。
this family saga is extremely well written； but the parts dealing with war； writers and the emancipation of women arent very good。 to be honest； these subjects dont interest me much。
terrible bombing raids on germany。 mr。 van daan is grouchy。 the reason： the
cigarette shortage。
the debate about whether or not to start eating the canned food ended in our favor。
i cant wear any of my shoes； except my ski boots； which are not very practical around the house。 a pair of straw thongs that were purchased for 6。50 guilders were worn down to the soles within a week。 maybe miep will be able to scrounge up something on the black market。
its time to cut fathers hair。 pim swears that i do such a good job hell never go to another barber after the war。 if only i didnt nick his ear so often！
yours； anne
thursday； march 18； 1943
my dearest kitty；
turkeys entered the war。 great excitement。 anxiously awaiting radio reports。
friday； march 19； 1943
deare