What Jeus is thinking about now is how to get hold of some money!

He could tear his hair out, because he has spent all of his money at Mardi Gras and now it is nearly time for the fair.

The money he earned is gone.

He thought, I will manage with my marbles, but they took him to the cleaners, because he has now lost all his marbles as well.

Which was something he hadn’t counted on.

The good time they had at Mardi Gras, came at a high price, not only was their hard earned money gone, but as a result, they were sick for days and were bent double with a cough, he and Bernard lost their voices from singing ‘rumbling pot’, he doesn’t bear thinking about.

Nothing like that has ever happened to him before.

But what do you do if you have no money and you know that the fair is coming?

You can try all kinds of things to earn some money.

But they were unlucky, and Bernard is also as poor as a church mouse.

Jeus doesn’t need to go to Crisje, she has nothing herself.

And aunt Trui just gives them a piece of sausage.

You should hear Bernard calling her names now.

Bernard said to Jeus:

“I will tell her something else.”

Jeus doesn’t know what he will say to aunt Trui, because he knows Bernard well, he does what he says.

And that is all very well, Bernard, but how do we get that money?

He is now doing all he can to earn something, but that is not so easy.

He does not understand why those adults cannot realize that.

It is such a simple matter, isn’t it; a child wants to go to the fair, were they never young themselves?

Is that so wrong?

Do all those adults have no feeling anymore?

He racks his brains to think of something, he is shaking from the effort of it, and people do not understand you.

But, good gracious, why didn’t he think of that before?

It is stupid; the money is there for the picking.

And you don’t really have to do anything for it.

With politeness, you will achieve everything in life.

Can you get money for doves?

He has also followed these thoughts, but only for a moment, but he doesn’t dare, the doves belong to all of them and there is something attached to that, then he can go to the cellar.

However, he does have an idea.

He will work for mother for credit.

Mother can safely be in debt to him.

He can trust her; mother will not cheat him.

“Is there nothing I can do for you, mother?”

“What do you want?”

“Is there anything I can do for you, mother?”

“Yes, of course.

You can fetch some coffee from Theet.

Theet knows which brand we drink.”

“Then I will just take care of that, mother.”

“But don’t you have anything to play, Jeus?”

“I can always play another time, mother.”

Crisje knows very well what he wants.

She feigns ignorance, but she thinks: that Jeus of mine.

She realizes it is great that he has forgotten his dramas and is now an ordinary child again, but giving money is an entirely different matter.

You can spoil them so easily.

Jeus is gone.

And along the way he studies the people, by looking them in the eye and in their souls, but they do not react.

Can they really not miss one single cent?

Is there nothing to be earned here?

He cannot use his powers at Theet Egging’s either.

“There you are, mother.”

“Thank you, Jeus.”

“My pleasure, mother.”

“I know, Jeus.”

“I’m only too happy to do it for you, mother.”

“I’ve known that for such a long time, Jeus.”

Then it is okay, he thinks, but this is credit for one cent.

He will write it down.

Mother will be entered in his credit book.

This is an honest debt.

Bernard would say, dirty flatterer, but Bernard can tell him more.

And it is good, he can give all his time to this work.

Bernard can only start after school, for Bernard is also racking his brains to try to get money for the fair.

The fair will also come for him.

It is a nice day.

Rich people come from Montferland along the Grintweg to look.

These people go for nice walks here, they go to the Plantation, and they seem not to know what to do with their money.

“Hurrah ... Fanny, I am here!

Good gracious, Fanny, but how stupid we are.

Good heavens, what a lot of money we will earn today.

Now you must listen to me carefully, Fanny.

You must help me.

When I look people in the eye, then you must also keep an eye on them.

Fanny, I will teach you that.

They say that father has fire in his eyes, but we can do that as well.

People are afraid of father, Fanny, but we mustn’t frighten them, none of that, we will do something entirely different.”

Now he looks Fanny in the eye.

Sharply and consciously, he descends into Fanny’s life.

“Did you feel me, Fanny?

That was good, wasn’t it?

You cannot resist my eyes,

And I can understand that.

Now, you surely know that, we look people in the eye.

And they are those rich people, Fanny, who live on Montferland and will soon stride down the Grintweg.

I promise you, Fanny, if we get sausage again from aunt Trui, then you can have all of it.

And when the fair comes, you can sit on the merry-go-round with me.

Does that make you happy, Fanny?”

Fanny barks, he understands his boss.

But Jeus feels, he has already wasted a lot of money.

Because he could have started yesterday or last week, but they will make up for lost time today.

They are now waiting at the front door of Crisje’s house.

Over there two ladies are walking in their direction.

He will look them straight in the eye and then they will ask something.

There they are.

Jeus remains standing while he prepares to give the ladies a piercing look.

“There they are, Fanny, and now look.”

Jeus sees that the two ladies have walking sticks with them.

Which the women here do not have.

That is nothing for mother.

Because she always wears clogs.

However, there they come.

Here they will stand still, in front of them.

There it is.

“Good day, lad.”

“Good day, lady.”

“So, are you playing so nicely?

What’s your name?”

“Jeus, lady.”

“Jeus, that is a nice name.”

“Yes, lady.”

“And what’s your dog’s name?”

“Fanny, lady.”

“Also a nice name.”

“Yes, lady.”

“What a polite little boy that is, Mary, entirely different from the children in the town.”

And to Jeus:

“Where do you live, Jeus?”

“Here, lady, I am right in front of our own house.”

Are we still not getting anything?

“Would you like to have some sweets?”

“Of course, lady, that’s a good one.”

The lady has to laugh.

He does not understand why, as long as she gives some cents she can laugh as much as she likes for all he cares.

Of course, lady, I am standing here with Fanny to get a few cents, aren’t we getting anything yet?

He holds out his hand, five cents roll onto his fingers, but at the same time, Crisje is right under his nose.

“Is Jeus begging, lady?

Because he isn’t allowed to.”

“No, madam, he is not begging, but he is allowed to have sweets, isn’t he?”

“Of course, lady, but we do not want them to beg.”

“I understand that, madam.”

“Yes, because we aren’t tramps.”

Crisje takes his money, he may keep one cent, but if he should try doing that again.

She will tell father and he will regret it.

Jeus thinks: We have to do that differently, Fanny.

Tomorrow we will lie there in front of aunt Trui’s fence and then mother will not be able to see us.

Yes, this is the way to do it!

Looking at people and forcing them to give you a few cents.

There is one cent in the safe, and a moment ago they had nothing, he is making progress.

By three o’clock, he is in position.

A man and a woman are walking in his direction.

He cannot reach the man, but that woman is sensitive.

Last night he saw how you can reach people even better.

Do not stand there gossiping away, come to us, we need you.

The woman doesn’t get away from him, the man really dangles beside her, that man is like a miser inside.

He is not interested in children, he only thinks of himself.

There it is.

Again Jeus hears:

“Good day, lad.”

“Good day, lady.”

“What is your name?”

“Jeus, lady.

And that is Fanny.”

“What beautiful eyes you have, Jeus.”

“Yes, lady, exactly the same as my father.”

“So, is it true that your father also has such lovely eyes?”

“Yes, lady, people are afraid of them.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, lady.”

What a nice little fellow this is, husband.

And how polite.

You don’t see that very often.

“Is your mother at home, lad?”

“Yes, lady.”

“Would you like something?”

“Yes please, lady.”

The lady opens her purse and lays ten cents in his hand, but suddenly his Tall One is right beside him and he says:

“Jeus, what are you doing now, that is begging.”

He looks into space, throws the lady’s ten cents at her feet and runs away.

‘Can you understand that?

That will never happen to me again.

Farmers remain farmers.

It is incomprehensible.

How strange.

Did you see how strangely that child behaved?

It was an insult.’

Jeus disappears.

And is now sitting with Fanny at the back of the garden and is calling life everything under the sun.

He doesn’t know what he should make of it, but the Tall One came between things.

If you look people in the eye, is that begging?

Now the Tall One is back and Jeus gets to hear:

“That is begging, Jeus.

And I don’t want them to call you names for begging.

Can you understand me?”

“Yes, of course, you are right.

Otherwise, I will go to the cellar.

I will be careful.”

“I wouldn’t want you to go begging, for all the money in the world.”

“I understand that, I already told you.”

The Tall One has gone again.

Jeus hangs around here and there; he doesn’t dare to think of money any more.

Life is rotten, life is wretched, and they don’t want you to have anything.

The spell is broken as the first of the fair wagons come down the street.

Jeus runs after them.

His mouth is watering; this will be a really good fair.

The days to come will be a real feast, and he wants to see all of it.

But he cannot get any money on his own.

Anneke can celebrate the fair now, he has nothing.

The days pass.

It is Sunday and the tents will open at eleven o’clock.

After High Mass they will get their money from Crisje.

“Johan?

Here, you will get ten cents for today.

Bernard, seven cents.

And Jeus, five cents.

Now off with you.”

There it is.

“Come, Fanny, but we will have to be careful, you surely understand that.”

First a little scout-around.

He is standing looking at the merry-go-round, but first wants to know how it all works.

They are beautiful horses; Hosman’s horses are pathetic in comparison.

Just look at those angels and those landscapes on the merry-go-round.

And all that shining stuff.

He just can’t get enough of it.

Jeus is so taken up with it all, that he is unaware that Fanny has got lost in the crowd.

That is a pity, but he will just have to be careful.

Jeus is bursting from excitement.

And yet he wants to wait a while, otherwise all his money will be spent too soon, and consequently all that will be left to do is look on for the rest of the day.

However, there is five cents in his pocket, and that is a lot.

Suddenly someone grabs and lifts him onto a white horse, such a beautiful animal, and now he is sitting there.

Can’t you see me?

Where are Bernard and Johan?

He looks across at the people, it is crowded; they can now see that he is sitting on a horse.

Now when the bell sounds, Jeus is flying round.

Heavens, Crisje, Tall One, why are they not here?

José, don’t you see what he will experience?

He can’t get enough of it.

However, his Tall One and José just don’t seem to matter just now.

These moments are for him.

And they will get none of this pleasure.

It is going well, he has already spent one cent, but that doesn’t mean anything, he is flying over the fields; drains and holes are not important.

Now he is going across the plain, straight to Montferland and then, it goes quickly, back.

At which time he has to slow the horse and yes, now they are standing still.

Now what?

Do I have to get off my horse?

We’ve only just met.

Think for a minute.

But they will not get his grey, he will have another ride like that, but he will fly in another direction, he will now go through the Plantage.

What a pity that mother cannot see him, what a pity that Anneke and the others are not there, riding is such fun.

And there it goes again.

No one can really go as fast as this.

Those who are riding next to him have nothing to say.

He is alone here; the universe belongs to him.

Mother Crisje’s Jeus is enjoying himself!

Now he has to go back again, he is already braking and his horse listens.

Those horses of Hosman are just old nags.

Now what?

Another ride, good heavens, then he will be nearly broke.

But he continues.

This ride also comes to an end, and then he suddenly feels that they have thrown him out.

“Good gracious, dirty mess”, they have diddled him out of three cents.

“You can drop dead.”

But you should see those poor souls laughing.

They are rotten people.

Fanny?

Fanny is not there anymore.

There is not much going for him, almost all his cents are gone, and the day, the long feast still has to begin.

It is too terrible.

It is poverty, why did he let himself be cheated by the marble games?

Did Mathie cheat him?

Not Theet, he also lost his marbles.

They can drop dead, a fair like that is a dirty mess, just look at those crazy men and women.

What do those louts want with a merry-go-round?

A merry-go-round is for children and not for big good-for-nothings.

He doesn’t care a hoot for it; he will make off, but still fancies a nice sweet.

Life is rotten, life is wretched, and life isn’t worth a thing.

Good gracious, there you have those high swings as well.

Swinging is great, but for big boys again.

There is the try-your-strength machine.

Look at those silly boys.

Where is Bernard and where is Johan?

He doesn’t see a single person.

It is gradually getting near to dinnertime.

Crisje said they must be home by one o’clock.

He carefully shuffles along the Grintweg, and he can still hear the shouting from the fair, along with the bells tinkling in his ears, but they can drop dead as well ... get the ‘droodles’.

If only Gerrit Noesthede and Jan Maandag were here now.

But you don’t see those men when you need them.

There is Bernard.

“Have you still got anything, Bernard?”

“Yes, of course, the day is still long.

I still have five cents.”

“I’ve got nothing left, Bernard, but what fun I had.”

Bernard can see by his face that he is crying inside, but then he shouldn’t spend everything in one go.

Johan?

Johan still has all his money.

Didn’t he know?

“Do you not want to buy a marble from me, Johan?”

“Marbles?

Who would want marbles at the fair.”

“Just get stuffed, Johan.”

“Don’t you have anything left for yourself?”

The dinner doesn’t taste good today, although Crisje has made nice, fatty chicken soup.

Which they are generally all mad about, but today it doesn’t taste good at all.

A while later Bernard and Johan have already disappeared,

But not Jeus, for him the fun is really over.

Crisje won’t give him anymore money.

Tomorrow there is one more day.

Now what?

Jeus is standing there leaning on the doorway and he just doesn’t know any more.

However there is always aunt Trui.

Now he must try everything, he will go for her heart.

Crisje has already seen it.

“What a long face you have, and that with the fair on?”

That is the sign, he feels it is the moment to settle the debt between himself and Crisje.

Then he hears:

“What are you saying to me, Jeus?

I am in debt to you?”

“But wasn’t that honest credit, mother?”

Good heavens, Crisje has to laugh heartily while thinking.

What a cunning scoundrel he is.

But tells him:

“Just be careful, or I will tell your father.

He will get you.

He doesn’t want anything to do with credit.”

Jeus makes off quickly, but he feels that he has made a bad mistake.

Then he had better nip round to aunt Trui’s.

“Don’t you have to go to the fair, Jeus?”

“I’ve already been, aunt Trui.”

“There’s a lot to see there?”

“Yes, aunt Trui.”

“Don’t you have to go back, Jeus?”

“My money’s gone, aunt Trui, I have nothing left.”

You would have thought that it was clear enough, but aunt Trui is deaf and insensitive, she doesn’t understand him.

Yet he, the stupid fool that he is, says as well:

“They are now drinking from my money, aunt Trui.”

It’s been said, but he could hit himself on the head, now he is completely destroying everything for himself.

There we go:

“That’s true, Jeus.

They just drink it.”

Damn it!

Jeus says to himself, you can never just have a proper conversation with that woman.

And of course, not a cent from her.

She can get lost.

What would Bernard do?

He said, I will get her yet.

But what will he do to her?

Nothing.

He wonders what he can do.

He had better just go back to Crisje.

“Have you anything for me to do, mother?”

“Of course, you can fetch a bucket of water.”

“Of course, mother.”

“But as long as you know, you will not get a cent from me today.”

He fetches a bucket of water, he loses more than he brings home, life is rotten, it is cunning, and it is no life, if only he could sell himself.

If only Chang was here.

He could have him for ten cents.

No, that is not enough, forty cents.

But Chang is in Italy.

Jeus is suffocating inside.

Crisje feels very clearly what he is going through, what is inside that heart, but she cannot spare any more, there are worries enough and tomorrow and the day after there will also be the fair.

Jeus lies down on the bench in front of the house, under the elderberry tree.

So he can have a good look at heaven, but now that is not worth anything either.

Jeus doesn’t know that a great wonder will now take place.

He looks, he sees straight into heaven, he experiences that wonderful blue, those clouds as well, and he thinks playing there is nothing, and today money is everything.

But what is that?

He sees a silvery white cord falling from heaven and that cord attaches itself to his head.

Now it is there in the centre of his head.

One end of the cord flows out of the garden, up the Grintweg.

With Jeus close behind.

Now it goes off the Zwartekolkseweg, right through the woods, in the direction of Hunzeleberg.

He runs after it and this cord which fell out of a heaven shows him the way.

But where does it lead to?

Close to Hunzeleberg the cord turns left.

My God, good heavens, how is it possible, there is money lying in the woods just like that.

He counts it; he can understand everything now.

It is fourteen guilders and sixteen cents.

He wants to pick up the money, but his hands go through it.

Of course, he needs his body for this but it is lying sleeping in the garden.

Then he will be able to pick up the money.

Jeus is back; he is there in a flash, crawls into his body and now back to Hunzeleberg.

But that does not happen so quickly now.

He cannot fly now, the body has to run, and fast too, because just imagine if other people came and found that money.

He runs himself silly; it is a one and half hour walk.

Sweating and panting he arrives at the spot, and yes, the money is still there.

Now when he picks it up, the Tall One appears.

Jeus looks him in the eye and hears:

“That is money, Jeus.”

“Yes, of course, did you think of me?”

“Of course, Jeus.

Did you think I would leave you to pine away?”

“Good gracious, now that is friendship for you.

I must say.”

“Now you must listen carefully, Jeus.

That is fourteen guilders and sixteen cents, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I know that.”

“Now you may keep twenty-five cents for yourself for the fair.

In addition another twenty-five cents to buy a cake for your mother.

You know one of those with that nice sugar on top.

And you must give the rest to mother.”

“Thank you, my God, how grateful I am to you.

I won’t forget it either.

Did you know that there was money here?”

“Of course, Jeus, otherwise I couldn’t have helped you, could I?”

“But how did you know that then?

Are you always in the woods?”

“Of course.”

“And do you know the way here?”

“Yes, I know that as well.

Now put the cents, ten cent pieces, twenty-five cent pieces and the guilders in the pocket.”

Jeus has the money.

He thinks and then asks:

“May I have another few from the sixteen cents?”

He looks the Tall One in the eye and he already senses that it is okay.

“Yes, but not all that change, Jeus.

Let’s say, seven cents and now you can enjoy the fair, all right?”

“I could burst from happiness, you just believe it.”

“I do believe that, Jeus.

And now go to your mother.”

“Yes, I’m on my way.”

The money rattles in his pocket, he goes to Crisje, hopping and jumping.

He is almost exploding from happiness.

And then he is standing in front of his mother and says:

“Mother, mother, I have found money.”

“What have you got?”

“I found money, mother.”

“Where then?”

“In the woods, mother.”

“Did you find money in the woods?

I thought you were lying there having a nice sleep.”

“Yes, but then I went away, mother.”

Crisje cannot understand it.

Of course, this is something special again.

However he didn’t steal it from somewhere, did he?

No, Jeus does not steal.

Although it is strange.

That money must go to Bolder the policeman.

Because a poor person may have lost that money.

Of course, we must take it to Bolder.

Crisje does not want any money found.

Nevertheless it is strange.

What is a boy like that doing in the woods?

She truly thought that he was sleeping there.

Now this.

Once again Crisje gives Jeus another three cents.

Nothing can happen to him anymore and he doesn’t say anything about mother getting a nice cake later, but he doesn’t sense either that he is creating an uproar with this.

He does not think about that and has disappeared from her sight.

Now he has to watch out for Bernard because, of course, he will want to know how he got that money.

Jeus goes around the entire fair with Fanny.

Fanny will first get his well-earned sausage, but the dog doesn’t get to hear that, suppose he will let his tongue run away with one, and that must not happen.

Now let’s just have a look.

Those herring rollmops are tasty.

No, first a nice piece of nougat.

It is long time since he tasted nougat.

That is tasty; and now another saunter round.

Jeus is again standing in front of the merry-go-round.

He is now sitting with Fanny in a lovely boat, rowing happens of its own accord.

Three times, one after the other, they let themselves be carried across the ditch, which becomes a lovely big lake, and that makes his insides tickle.

After this Fanny gets a fatty smoked herring, he gets a nice eel for himself, the fat is dripping from his face, meanwhile he looks to see whether Bernard is there.

No, he isn’t, and now he carries on.

“Fanny, how would you like such a nice hard gingerbread?”

Fanny enjoys eating it, but doesn’t like it that much, there are still all kinds of things.

Now he sucks a piece of nougat on a stick, and views the goings-on of the fair through different eyes.

Life is wonderful again; life is great and how happy people are, after all.

He and Fanny are also happy and he could thank Our Lord a thousand times today.

Now the great moment has arrived to buy a cake like that for mother.

“Yes, just wrap it up.

“And now to mother.

You will see a sight there for a change, Fanny.”

Jeus doesn’t sense that he will land in trouble through this.

But the Tall One actually wants to get him into trouble, he must be up to his neck in it.

They race into the house.

Gerrit Noesthede and father are there as well.

As happy as Larry, he lays the cake on the table and says:

“Here, mother, this is for yourself.”

Immediately there is the devil to pay.

Crisje almost falls off her chair.

“A cake for me, did you say?

Where did you get that money?

Did you keep some of that money back, Jeus?”

Tall Hendrik and Gerrit look and understand it.

Crisje moans:

“That’s bad, Jeus.

That’s worse than felon.

My God, how bad that is.

I wouldn’t have thought it of you.

You cheated me.

Didn’t you?”

They know how the felon was for Crisje, but this is worse.

Much worse, and he cannot understand it.

“I was allowed to keep twenty five cents, mother, and I was to buy a cake for you with it.”

“Who let you buy a cake?” ,his father asks severely.

Now he can tell Tall Hendrik who his Tall One is, but his father doesn’t understand any of it.

It is enough to drive you crazy.

He is up to his neck in it; his Tall One has brought him a lot of misery.

That is a terrible pity.

Jeus does not see that his Tall One is there and that he is following this amazing event and wants to know exactly how Tall Hendrik will react to all this, and little Gerrit Noesthede as well.

The Tall One knew that Crisje would take the money to Bolder the policeman, because he knows Crisje.

Now what?

This will become a drama yet.

Tall Hendrik asks him:

“Tell me where you got that money.”

“I was lying sleeping, father, in front of the house.”

“Is that true, Crisje?”

“Yes, Hendrik, he had fallen asleep there.”

“And then what?”

“Then I saw ... I saw, father, a long rope falling from heaven and I went after it and that went into the woods, father.”

“And then you found that money?”

“Yes, father.”

“Are you sure that you didn’t steal that money from somewhere?”

“Of course not, father, I don’t steal.”

Tall Hendrik feels that that will be a complicated problem.

“Gerrit, I will borrow your bike and I will be back in a minute.”

“Do you still remember where that money was?”

“Yes, father, right near Hunzeleberg.”

“What did you say?”

“Near the Hunzeleberg, father, I found it there.”

“But that is an hour and a half’s walk.”

“Yes, father, but that is where it was.”

Jeus sits at the front of the bike with Tall Hendrik and now he has to tell his father where they are going.

“Turn left, father.”

They go left for a while and then: “Right, father, and now to Hunzeleberg.”

A while later: “Right, father, and to the end of this road and then left again and then we just have to go around that wood and we will be there soon.”

Tall Hendrik doesn’t know, he cannot think, he can only follow Jeus’ directions, because this is a miracle.

What a pity that Crisje took that money to Bolder, he and Crisje could have enjoyed the fair for a change, but he knows his Crisje.

So that chance is lost.

Now they are almost at the place where the money lay.

Yes, Tall Hendrik can see that guilders and two and a half guilder pieces have lain there.

Truly, it would frighten you to death.

And yet?

Yet indeed, Jeus found money in the woods.

He no longer needs to ask him about that cord, Tall Hendrik wouldn’t understand anything about it anyway and you no longer need to think of these things either.

“It is strange, Crisje, but he did find it in the woods.”

Now the worrying starts.

But only lasts a moment.

because Gerrit already knows something else.

Crisje hears:

“If I let my brains work, Cris, then we will be eating angels’ cake today, because it has to do with that, anyway.

True or not, Hendrik?

And we do not get angels’ cake every day.

Come on, Hendrik, we’ll have to drink to that, just take a walk, go and get three measures for us.”

Tall Hendrik has already gone.

The thoughts of Gerrit and Tall Hendrik become muddled through a brandy.

Crisje experiences the wonder.

And feels that the money must go back to those poor people.

Tall Hendrik and Gerrit make fun of it.

This day is an unusual one in their lives and with the fair on.

Which they are making a funfair of it.

Not a thing remains of the wonder.

And Jeus thinks, that’s your business, I’m going to enjoy the fair.

He cannot get over his luck, he also gets twelve cents from Gerrit.

Now they can tell him more.

However, there is something the matter.

Crisje says:

“Did you not keep anything for yourself, Jeus?”

“No, mother.”

He looks Crisje straight in the face.

Crisje looks back.

He will now be careful to let mother feel that he has money enough in his pocket, yet she won’t get to hear any of it.

But then there follows:

“Yes, because you understand, Jeus, otherwise it is stealing, after all.”

“What did you say, mother?”

“Don’t you understand that, Jeus?

But that’s stealing?”

“Yes, mother, I already understand you.”

He must see that he gets away.

However, it is strange.

So is he now a thief?

At the fair, he has already forgotten all those serious thoughts.

He is now having a nice go in a swing-boat with another boy.

When it becomes evening, he has to go home, but he still has plenty of money for tomorrow and the day after.

He starts to think in his box bed.

Crisje tucks him in.

She kisses him.

He now asks:

“Mother, may I ask you something?”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Can angels steal?”

“No, really and truly, angels are sacred, Jeus.

Angels never steal.”

“Oh, then I know, mother.”

“What do you know?”

“Nothing, mother.”

Yes, Crisje, if you only knew.

He has worked it out!

What he has been given came straight from heaven.

And now they can call him a thief, then his angel will also be stealing and you say yourself, angels are sacred, angels do not steal.

What kind of fairness is this?

Good heavens, Crisje, the whole world will know one day and we will make sure of that.

He also gets to hear from Crisje, but his eyes are already closing:

“I am proud of you, as long as you know that ...” and she sees, her Jeus is safely tucked in bed, he is having a nice sleep.

Crisje knows, she has received a miracle of a child from Our Lord.

But they had put him in a difficult situation, is the first thought he has when he wakens in the morning.

Yet he has money.

All in all, he has the profit in his own pocket.

And this evening he will go to the pictures.

They are giving a performance there lasting an hour for fifteen cents, a play, or something; he can well afford it.

A big steam machine is standing there puffing and he wants to know all about it.

Now he must make up an excuse, because he will be late.

Is that thing open this afternoon?

Let's see.

Yes, really, he is going to the cinema.

He is bursting inside, is cross-eyed from the flickering, but thrilled to bits that no one has seen him, that evening he climbs into his box bed and dreams, he is flying in the universe, and goes back at least twenty times by that same road to the money, and talks for hours to his Tall One.

“You will never desert me, will you?”

“Of course not, Jeus.”

“You can count on me as well.”

“I know, Jeus.”

“And I am not a thief, am I?”

“No, of course not, then I would be one as well.”

“Then they can tell me more.”

Angels do not steal!

But Tall Hendrik will sweep the mighty happenings under the carpet.

Do you never ever have the feeling, Tall Hendrik, that Jeus gets to experience supernatural phenomena?

You say it, but it doesn’t get through to you.

This should have changed the whole world, but the way you feel and think is also the way this big world thinks, Tall Hendrik.

The ‘droodles’ from Our Lord.

Yet, the Tall One of Our Lord has linked you to this wonder.

You even cycled after it to see for yourself if it is reality.

And that, Tall Hendrik, will be proof for this humanity.

Now think of the facts for a moment, Tall Hendrik.

Jeus is lying there on his back and looking up at heaven.

From heaven comes a cord which can think and knows exactly where the money is, far away in the woods and far from home.

Does it not mean anything to you, Tall Hendrik?

Is that not something to think about day and night?

Would you not want to tell everyone about it?

And did you think, Tall Hendrik, that people would not want to know?

Of course, there will be many who will laugh like you do, but there will also be people who think that it is a miracle!

And did you think, Tall Hendrik, that such things do not happen for a reason?

You and Crisje know, and that is enough.

Yet, even Gerrit Noesthede will never forget this either, however, what concerns Our Lord and HIS Tall One is: that you can forget it for now, Tall Hendrik, however you must know, one day the whole of humanity will get to know about this and thousands of people will then realize that there is no Grim Reaper!

What do you think of such a Tall One?

How that man can think.

And what kind of eyes did he receive in his head anyway from Our Lord?

Does none of this mean anything to you?

You received sparkling eyes, Tall Hendrik, but you do not use them, you are and will remain completely blind!

Crisje knows it, for her it is a great miracle and it will remain so!

Soon you can endorse all of this with your life, Tall Hendrik.

And that is the immediate stamp of Our Lord.

We will see and speak to each other again.

However, you must know, a sea of happiness is waiting for you.

You can grasp it just like that, but you do not see it.

Wake up for a change!

One day you will be confronted with your sea of life, Tall Hendrik.

I hope for you that there will then be a silvery white cord to bring you to the ultimate.

I think that you will have to sail your mighty sea of life on your own.

Then you can row until you drop.

You will also scream at the top of your lungs, but then there will not be any one who will show you such a cord, you have never looked for it and never wanted it.

Crisje will receive many cords at the end of her life, and sometimes also in this, her human existence, as well, which will then show her the way, and give her the wisdom to know how to act.

You will then be completely off the mark.

And along with you the rest of the world, the millions who want to experience their own lives, which they have a right to, but Our Lord has something else as well.

You will only get that, Tall Hendrik, by seeing and experiencing such cords, and you can bow your head for them.

Laugh, laugh all you want, you’re a fine chap but you do not understand any of these great revelations yet, not a single bit!

Three months later Crisje got the money back from Bolder.

Of course, people came, and claimed they had lost money, but Bolder was not stupid either.

They could get out of there.

Jeus, Miets, Bernard and Gerrit are now wearing new Sunday smocks.

You should see how those things gleam.

They gleam with real heavenly light.

Crisje never has to wash these smocks, they never get dirty.

For they are from Our Lord.

For Tall Hendrik only one thing exists: the boys have good voices, he will definitely prepare them for the opera house!

Whether that will happen is an entirely different matter.

In any case, he still has his say!

He then fights against the Tall One and against Our Lord, and we already know: Tall Hendrik will lose.

Or have you had other feelings, after all, Tall Hendrik?

We hope so for your sake.

This was a great fair!

Even the angels sat next to Jeus on the merry-go-round.

There was real human enjoyment in the heavens.

And Our Lord saw that it was going well.

HE also had a good time, Tall Hendrik!

The brandy is in your head, Our Lord can also understand that very well, now another spark of the other one, and we have arrived.

That is your own business!

No one is forcing you!