It is true, aunt Trui owns the nicest cockerel in the neighbourhood.

It is one, which is prominent and has a voice, which even Tall Hendrik is jealous of.

It is a man, strong and aware of its power, as splendid as a king is.

Aunt Trui’s cockerel drowns out all the others in the neighbourhood; it is such a humdinger.

Every morning Trui listens to her living alarm clock, and no morning has she ever been mistaken, the creature is so accurate.

But this morning she hears nothing, is there something the matter with the cockerel?

She continues to listen, now Gradus is also awake, they have slept in, and were not awakened by their living alarm clock.

When Trui comes behind, she sees a drama.

“Gradus, but Gradus, come quickly and look!”

They are now both standing looking at the cockerel.

Her king does not have a feather on its body; it looks like it has been shaved bare.

Last night there was a rotter who stole the cockerel’s royal robes, and in a way like this, it is enough to drive you mad from anger.

It is a great scandal!

Is it a wonder that Trui is poisonous?

That she is biting her lips?

This is bad, it is terrible.

In fact, demonic.

The cockerel is just sitting there vexed.

And above all, extremely sad.

The animal has been undressed, the beautiful voice has broken, and the kingly form has been left a pauper.

The cockerel leers at her and doesn’t say a thing.

It is horrible.

“That brat of Crisje’s did that, Gradus.”

Do you hear that, Crisje?

They want to give your Bernard the blame.

These thoughts occurred to Trui just like that, it is Bernard, and he is the rotter.

The neighbourhood is in uproar, within an hour everyone knows.

It causes devilish laughter; but who did it?

It is a dirty trick, some people say, others think it is incredibly ridiculous, but still something to make you jump out of your skin.

Not even five minutes later Trui and Gradus are standing in front of Crisje.

‘Don’t you know anything, Crisje?

Bernard did it.

I’m going to the constabulary,’ Trui screams.

Doesn’t Johan know anything?

Where is Bernard?

Bernard has to come.

He looks Crisje in the eye and has nothing to do with it, look for yourself, Trui.

If Bernard did it, then you would imagine that he would give himself away, wouldn’t he, Trui?

Don’t you agree, Gradus.

But who thinks of the constabulary immediately?

No, the boys know nothing.

Crisje asks Bernard:

“Did you really have nothing to do with it, Bernard?”

“How could I possibly have pulled out the cockerel’s feathers, mother?

I was having a nice sleep.”

“Is that true, Johan?”

“Yes, mother, he wasn’t out of his bed for a minute, mother.

I would have seen that, wouldn’t I?”

Bernard is standing there with his nose in it and he thinks, Johan will get something nice from me sometime.

Bernard has nothing to do with it, Jeus, nothing!

“If I find out, Cris, that Bernard did it, I will have him locked up.

And you can count on that as well, as long as you understand that.”

“That’s a good one, Trui.

Well, that is terrible.

That’s a rogue’s trick.

That cannot be excused, Trui, of course not.

It’s scandalous.

I have never seen such a thing in my life, Trui, as long as you know that.”

Gerrit Noesthede happens to be there as well, he needed to borrow some music from Tall Hendrik.

He looks at the cockerel, Gerrit laughs, and it is a great trick.

“Just look, Gerrit, isn’t that scandalous?

It was such a beautiful cockerel.

I could cry about it.”

Gerrit takes a good look; the animal looks pathetic.

He also has something to say:

“It is really and truly walking about in its bare bottom, Trui.

They have removed his Sunday suit.”

Trui flies into a temper and moans at Gerrit:

“Do you want to make fun of it as well, Gerrit?”

“I will get that out of my head, Trui, it is a real business, but may I still say something?”

Trui thinks that it is a murder trial.

Gerrit disappears.

“Does Hendrik know as well, Crisje?”

“No, Gerrit, he had already gone, but he will hear about it this evening, and then there will be the devil to pay.”

“For what, Crisje?”

“That’s a good one, but I don’t know either.”

“Did you think that one of the boys did it, Cris?”

“I don’t know, Gerrit.

Trui thinks that Bernard did it, but Johan said that Bernard slept all night, he didn’t get out of bed, Gerrit.”

“Then what have you to complain about, Crisje?”

“But what is such a crook doing at Trui’s house, Gerrit?”

“Look here, Crisje, there are people in the world who take pleasure in things like that.

I do not believe that Bernard did it.”

And they pull that on Trui in the middle of her sleep.

She definitely thinks that Bernard did it.

Moreover, Jeus believes so as well.

Did Bernard not say that he was going to get his own back on her?

This is inhuman, this is daring, and this is pure cheek.

However, Gerrit Noesthede is laughing until he cries.

Crisje sees it and says accusingly:

“Do you wish to make excuses for such lousy tricks, Gerrit?

Do you have to laugh about it as well?”

But Gerrit answers with a gleam in his eye: “If I find out, Cris, who did it, he will get a mark from me as well.”

There is Bernard.

“Do you know anything about it, Bernard?”

Bernard looks Gerrit in the eye and says: “No, I had nothing to do with it.”

Gerrit tries:

“If you did it, Bernard, you will get a mark from me.”

“I had nothing to do with it, Gerrit.”

Gerrit doesn’t believe Bernard.

Still, you wonder, is a child capable of plucking such a cockerel, yet, while it’s alive?

You need strength for that.

Besides, a cockerel like that does not just allow such a thing.

Did Trui not hear any screams then?

Gerrit goes back to Trui.

She says no, she heard nothing, and that is the worst part of all, they could murder you in your sleep, and you wouldn’t hear or see anything.

Is Bernard capable of it?

But that is not possible.

This is men’s work, Trui.

You need strength for this.

I will prove that to you.

With Gradus and Trui standing by, Gerrit gets hold of a chicken.

The animal screams blue murder.

Crisje thinks that another one is being plucked.

Jeus and Johan are already running to see as well.

“Well, Trui?

Can a child like Bernard manage that?

I cannot even throttle it without it screaming.

And this is just a chicken, Trui, that cockerel of yours has got a lot more guts.”

Gradus says: “No Trui, Bernard didn’t do it.”

However, Trui insists, it is Bernard.

Bernard is the bandit.

“Don’t you know, Jeus?” ,Trui asks.

“No, aunt Trui, how should I know.”

“Did Bernard not say anything to you?”

“What would Bernard tell me.

But, good gracious, that is something.

Really, that is a pity, aunt Trui, it was such a beautiful cockerel.”

Jeus has gone, he has to find Bernard.

There is his little brother.

“Can I tell you something, Bernard?”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you.”

“But I’m telling you, good gracious, that is dangerous work.

You haven’t heard the last of that.

You took off all of his trousers.

Good gracious me, Bernard, how courageous you are.”

“Will you shut your mouth, otherwise I’ll shut it for you.”

“You didn’t even leave it its shirt, Bernard”, Jeus pesters, “but I have to laugh about it, really.

How did you pull that off?

Gerrit Noesthede cannot understand it, and uncle Gradus, also said that you couldn’t have done it, you need manpower for that, Bernard.”

“Shut your mouth, otherwise I’ll shut it for you, as long as you know.”

“But shouldn’t you go and have a quick look?”

“No, I have better things to do with my time.

I have to go to school soon.”

“But I’m not afraid of you, Bernard.”

Bernard is not surprised that they suspect him, but he is so calm and sure of himself that even Jeus starts to doubt whether he did it.

When Bernard comes out of school, they start again and a while later, Crisje sees, they are fighting and annoying each other.

“Just come with me.

Just take this stuff to Willemse.”

Jeus and Bernard go off to take flour to Willemse.

They bake nice bread from it and the boys like that.

On the way, Jeus gets him again and Bernard has the greatest fun, who will do anything to him?

Bernard is whistling to his heart’s content, and aunt Trui can tell him another one.

Then they arrive at Willemse, the baker.

Jeus sees that they are taking Willemse’s bull outside along with a cow.

“What is that, Bernard?”

“That’s a good one, Hans has to cover.”

“What’s covering, Bernard?”

“Just take a look for yourself.”

Hans the bull, that takes place in that corner just like that, has to cover a cow.

Big people and small people are standing there watching, which is very ordinary.

No one has anything to say about it, or thinks anything of it, but for children it is something great.

Jeus also can’t get enough of it.

Isn’t that something?

Aunt Trui’s cockerel is now forgotten.

“What is it doing, Bernard?”

“It does nothing but jump.”

“Is that jumping?”

Jeus looks, but while watching, something happens.

He sees inside the cow.

He sees that something wonderful is going to happen inside there.

In the cow, he sees a big egg, which opens.

And now that Hans is covering, he sees that this egg receives everything and closes.

Inside that egg, he sees the following happen, which gives him food for thought:

The egg expands, it becomes bigger, and bigger, he sees that it is developing into a calf!

Sighing, he watches this wonderful process in the cow; he doesn’t see anything of what Hans is doing.

Now something else comes into the cow.

There is the calf already.

How is it possible?

Bernard hears him saying:

“My God, how wonderful that is.”

Ha, Bernard thinks, now I’ve got you.

He has the same rotten thoughts as all the other children and I have.

He already reacts:

“So, now I know what kind of rotter you are.

Do you like what Hans is doing?”

“Not that, Bernard, it is that other part, but you don’t understand anything about that anyway”, he retorts and immediately takes off.

He has to think about this.

It is a great miracle.

He saw the calf growing in the cow, and then the calf was born.

Did the people also see that?

No, but the adults know how that will take place, they know all about it, Jeus, but they have never been able to follow it from inside.

A quarter of an hour later he is lying with Fanny in the woods to think about what he saw there.

Good heavens, what a miracle that was.

And he has to work on that now, he must try to find out what all that means.

Does Bernard also think?

No, differently, he knows that already.

Bernard thinks that he admires Hans’ work, but it’s not that.

What did that Hans do there?

He feels beaten from inside.

His head is churning, and almost bursting from all his thoughts.

He can still see how Hans pushed his big head against the cow, and then it started.

What does all this mean?

Isn’t it wonderful, Crisje?

Through Hans a calf is born, this is clear to him.

Through Hans the cow got a little one.

He also wants to have young.

A big hole has been beaten into his soul, Crisje.

Now he must think how to close this awesome hole and who can help him in this?

If he does not manage this then he will never have any peace again.

Fanny must help him.

Jeus is faced with the greatest of problems, created by Our Lord, through which people possess so much power, but still do not realize it.

He is faced with the universe of Our Lord and he wants to experience this and fight it out for himself, but mother can probably help him as well.

He feels that everything lies in this!

And he already feels that she will be able to help him.

He will solve this, which will also come, because his life is open to life.

The first few days pass with exploring this territory.

Crisje already notices that he has something again.

However, what is it this time?

She will not have to wait long for the answer, and then he starts asking her questions.

She sees him back at the chicken run, his head leaning on his hands, thinking; no one can disturb him.

When that soul is sitting down like that, Crisje thinks, then something will follow again.

“What are you doing this time, Jeus?”, she asks curiously.

“I have to think, mother.”

“So, you have to think.”

“Yes, mother.”

“What do you have to think about, Jeus?”

“Mother, I need to have young.”

“What do you want?”

“Can’t you understand that then, mother?”

Crisje is already shocked.

She has to think about that for a moment.

What is occupying him now?

A while later he gets to hear:

“Will you make sure that you get away from here?”

“Am I not allowed to watch the chickens then, mother?”

“Go and play on the moorland.”

That is suspicious, he thinks.

The rabbits will probably have something to tell him, but he is chased away from there as well.

Mother is after him, but why, really?

Can’t he do anything?

Then he had better go to Hosman’s.

Gerrit, the oldest farm hand, likes him, and he will probably help him.

Rabbits, pigs, chickens and the doves now occupy him.

And in between that there are people, but he leaves them alone for now.

He doesn’t notice Fanny either, but that will come as well.

Rabbits and doves all get young.

How are they born?

Just like with Hans and the cow?

He knows that already.

If the animals do what Hans does, then there will be young.

But that is not everything either, there is much more which he has to know.

“Good day, Gerrit.”

“Good day, Jeus.

Did you come to see me for a minute?

Don’t you want Anneke?”

“No, I don’t want anything to do with Anneke just now.”

“Is it over between you and Anneke, Jeus?”

“Not that, Gerrit, but you don’t need the women for everything, after all, Gerrit?”

“That’s true, Jeus, of course, that is not possible.”

Gerrit likes him, because Jeus talks like a sensible person.

That child will go far in the world, Gerrit feels, further than him.

That child has a good head on his shoulders.

The older children are just whippersnappers in comparison.

Jeus has to think for a minute, comes to the point and then Gerrit hears:

“Gerrit, may I ask you something?”

“Of course, Jeus, what do you want to know from me?”

“Gerrit, there are cows in this world, aren’t there, and there are cows who have to do quite a different matter than eat their fill and give milk.”

Gerrit wonders what he is getting at this time, but he already feels what he is trying to say.

“Yes, Jeus, they are bulls!”

“That’s what I wanted to know, Gerrit.

Does Hosman also have bulls, Gerrit?”

“Yes, but our one is still a young one.”

“It will have to work soon, Gerrit, won’t it?”

“To work, did you say?”

Gerrit already understands where he has been and says:

“Were you at Willemse’s, Jeus?”

“Yes, Gerrit, I saw Hans working.”

“And then you were certainly surprised, weren’t you?”

“Yes, of course, but I saw something entirely different, Gerrit.

Does Hosman also have a horse like Hans?”

“What did you say?”

“Whether Hosman has a horse which has to work like Hans?”

And that on top of everything.

Gerrit suddenly no longer has the time; he’d better ask his father.

“I have to work, Jeus, and I have to go to the pasture land immediately, you can surely understand that.”

“Pull the other one, it’s got bells on”, Jeus thinks, then with resignation he says:

“I will be off then, Gerrit, I can put my time to better use too”, by which Gerrit understood that this boy takes everything in and later deals with it as well.

“Come on, Fanny, there is nothing more for us to do here, we aren’t any the wiser, you noticed too, didn’t you, Fanny.

We will go to the garden.

We first have to find out what the adults don’t want to tell us.

They pretend to know nothing, but they know everything.”

There you go, Gerrit, he knows.

They are having a nice lie-down in the garden, lovely and near to each other, and they are thinking.

“Come closer to me, Fanny, then I can think even better.”

He pulls Fanny towards him.

The dog rolls upside down and he suddenly sees what Fanny really is.

It is as if a light falls from the heavens.

“Good gracious me, Fanny, you are like Hans, I never knew that.

Don’t you have to make sure that young come into the world for you?

Are you only in the world to bark and eat your fill?

But you are exactly the same as I am, do you know that?

You are like a cropper-pigeon, Fanny.”

No, that is no comparison, a cropper is something completely different.

But, a cropper is like Hans and like Fanny.

Maybe it is not so bad after all.

A cropper is like aunt Trui’s cockerel and our own cockerel.

“Come on, Fanny, we have to go to the chickens.”

Fanny shuffles along behind him, he cannot rest for a second, and the boss doesn’t allow him any time for a snooze.

Hans is bigger than Fanny and the cropper, but still ...?

But there is mother.

“Mother, may I ask you something?”

“What do you want to know from me now?”

He has to think, he will tell her as clearly as possible: “Mother, when children come along ...” Good grief, Crisje thinks, whoops, there you have it.

Crisje hisses, but she can’t get a word out and has already gone.

That’s the way it always goes, he thinks.

If you ask people something, they have no time or they run away.

You never get a proper answer.

But, there is always Bernard.

“Bernard, may I ask you something?”

“Of course, what do you want to know from me?”

Bernard looks at him, as long as it’s not about aunt Trui’s cockerel; he wants nothing to do with that.

“Bernard, what was that again that Hans did there, Bernard?”

“Do you want to know that?”

“Yes, is that so bad then, Bernard?”

“I wouldn’t have thought that you wanted anything to do with those horrible things.

But now I know, you are a sly one.

You have the same rotten thoughts as me.”

“Then get lost for all I care, Bernard.”

“So, is that all?”

Bernard follows him, that drivelling about Our Lord has gone.

That really has to stop, he knows now, Jeus has the same rotten thoughts as all the other children, and his world is also rotten.

Bernard hasn’t forgotten that yet.

However, Crisje is upset.

Where is mother?

In the garden.

Then he can help mother there and then they can have a nice chat together.

That’s not such a bad idea, after all.

Bernard hasn’t forgotten anything.

Because Tall Hendrik has taken him to task.

He looked Bernard in the eye himself and went to tell Trui later, that she must stop with her talk about Bernard.

A child cannot pluck a cockerel like that.

Gradus agreed with Tall Hendrik, however, how is it possible, Trui continues to insist that Bernard did it.

Tall Hendrik nearly died laughing.

He would give anything to know, but Bernard says no; he does not shake, he doesn’t get frightened, he really stood in judgement, but no Tall Hendrik could gauge him and determine that he was the guilty party.

You cannot lie like that, especially in front of Tall Hendrik.

No, Crisje said, Bernard didn’t do it.

But who did do it?

Who knew so exactly, where the cockerel was?

Who knew the airs of the cockerel?

Not a living soul.

Except Bernard, aunt Trui says, and in her opinion, he looked at the cockerel too much during the past few days.

Well Trui, what do you want?

There was no constabulary!

Crisje didn’t trust Trui in the slightest, but she has no proof.

Moreover, Jeus has been walking around with his own problems for days.

Bernard pretends that aunt Trui’s cockerel has never existed, and life goes on, but there is Crisje over there.

“Mother, can I help you?”

“There is no help needed here.”

“But can’t I just help you to get those things out of the ground, mother?

Then we can have a nice little chat at the same time.”

Oh, is that the reason, Crisje thinks, she can’t get away from him.

“Mother.”

“What is it?”

“I want to know, mother, if you marry father, really, whether father is then Hans and you are the cow.”

“What do you want to know?” ...

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, help me!

How do I get away from this child?

Does mother not hear him?

Then he will just ask again.

“I want to know, mother, whether you are like Willemse’s Hans ... No, I don’t mean that, mother.

I want to know if, when Willemse’s Hans has to jump, you are then the cow, mother?

Don’t you have to give milk, anyway, mother?

No, I want to know, whether you have nothing else to do but give milk.

That is all, mother, that’s all I want to know.”

‘What have I started now’, Crisje thinks.

I should have taken off immediately.

He has now seen something at Willemse’s.

She knows what it is about now.

He doesn’t wait any longer and continues to ask:

“Do you know, mother?

May I know, mother?”

Crisje thinks for a moment and gets out of it by saying:

“Just ask your father that, Jeus.”

That is a pity, Crisje.

You know very well that he cannot go to his father with such questions; he will beat him to the ground.

And Jeus’ soul is not open to father.

Now you have knocked him down yourself, and you will lose the child.

Do you want that, Crisje?

How many millions of mothers have lost their children, only because they do not know how to take care of them when these situations arise?

In addition, this child goes further anyway, Crisje.

Jeus must know.

This is a great problem.

And how did you experience these problems, Crisje?

Do you not think?

Did you think that this was the best thing?

To walk away and release yourself from his life?

Anyhow, you cannot know everything, you cannot have an overview of it all, you think that these problems are sacred, but they are also sacred for him as well.

Jeus already feels it and says with a sigh:

“I know, mother.

That is all nonsense.

I will help myself.”

But you know, Crisje?

The most beautiful thing in your life is the contact with your child.

You are now throwing that away from your life yourself.

This is the most beautiful moment, Crisje; if you think about it for a moment, then you must really feel that, that a child looks at creation and then starts asking questions about the things of Our Lord.

This is of such great significance!

After all, these little souls now think day and night.

Whether they are asleep or wide awake during the day, Crisje.

They can no longer eat because of it; this goes before everything!

And that is very natural.

As a result of this they learn to speak and to think, as a result of this they get to know you and the Divine universe, as a result of this, Crisje, you have your child or you lose it.

And do not forget you are now hindering his development.

However, don’t worry, Crisje, millions of people in the town follow the same path, but it is a dead end, and of course extremely wrong, you are now sending Jeus to the rabble!

He will get there, of course, because we will make sure of that, he has to get there, because it is something completely different for him than for thousands of other children, he experiences the universal part of it.

Now what do Mary, Joseph or Jesus have to do with this?

Do you find it so inhuman, Crisje?

Crisje also says to him: “I will have to look after father”, then he is alone again.

He thinks: at Hakfoort’s they had a bear, and that bear was like Hans, it did not do anything different to what Hans had to do, and that is exactly the same for the cockerel, even if it is something else.

However, that bear is dead now, they slaughtered that animal.

It is a pity, but now he must continue.

Jeus admires Bernard, but he cannot help him now.

That is also a pity, he feels, Bernard knows all about it.

Johan does too, but Johan starts laughing, and then you cannot ask him anymore, he doesn’t sense how serious his problems are.

However, aunt Trui’s cockerel has been cooked.

The cockerel went on the stove for a while, Trui has let the soup simmer first, and then they had a nice dinner.

Is aunt Trui still angry?

They mustn’t come near her yet; the fence is closed tightly.

Trui has closed the paradise for Crisje’s boys.

Bernard says: “It’s her business; there is nothing for me there, anyway.”

However, he knows for himself, he has got out of it wonderfully well.

Even father didn’t realise anything.

Was that so clever now, thinks Bernard.

Of course, it was a bit difficult at one point to squeeze the cockerel’s throat closed, so that it couldn’t scream.

But did you really think, Trui, that Bernard was mad?

Trui, that is the best part of all, you did not find a single feather.

She only realized that days later.

No one had noticed until Gradus suddenly asked: “Where did the feathers get to, Trui?”

“A very good point, Gradus.

There are no feathers.”

“Where did they pluck the cockerel then?”

Trui is not a clairvoyant.

Jeus found the feathers at the back of the garden and he immediately knew everything.

When he told Bernard that he knew where the cockerel had been plucked, he said threateningly:

“As long as you know that I will pluck you as well if you say anything about it.

But it is nothing to do with me, nothing!”

Bernard does not forget that he must not be indebted to Jeus, because then he will no longer have a life.

Jeus knows, and he doesn’t know!

Bernard does not intend to give away his secret; sooner or later, Jeus will demand to have his apples and pears, and then he will be stuck with Jeus.

This is how Bernard thinks about it and no one can prove it to him.

Crisje is happy that Bernard didn’t do it.

For her it is the meanest trick which children can think of.

Then the crooks must have done it, and Crisje can rid herself of the whole drama.

Now she is faced with much greater dramas, which Hendrik must become involved in, but Tall Hendrik says: “Let Jeus find out for himself.”

Fortunately, he is lying in the box bed, and can no longer follow his parents.

Wrong, Tall Hendrik!

That is also wrong again, Hendrik.

You are now just like Crisje, afraid of the sacred truth.

Is that bringing up your child, Tall Hendrik?

What are you actually here for then?

Why are there parents in the world, Tall Hendrik?

Have you nothing else to do but make sure there is food and drink?

Is that smoothing the path for the child?

You beat him?

You not only make it a thousand times worse than it already is, but you also haul that child away from your life.

You are now hitting away all respect.

For Jeus you no longer mean anything, anything at all!

You are not worth a thing in the child’s eyes, Tall Hendrik.

However, you just carry on, he will get there okay.

But how would it be if you took him on a nice walk, and then told him everything about life.

The most sacred thing which exists for a father and mother, you do not understand anything about it, and neither does Crisje.

For Crisje it is her pure faith, she doesn’t want to give her child everything too soon, but you could have done it, Tall Hendrik, this mighty task was laid on your shoulders, but you are a father who is good for nothing!

In the eyes of Jeus that is!

Do you understand it, Tall Hendrik?

‘Come on, Fanny, we must work today’, is the first thing which Fanny gets to hear when they waken in the morning.

The thinking has already started again.

And his father could have explained the problem of his thoughts in a few hours.

That would have been a paradise for Jeus and for Tall Hendrik, but he is completely blind.

He only thinks about singing and playing the violin, about fun and poverty-stricken joy, and nothing else.

Jeus picks flowers, he first thoroughly mixes them up and then they go into the ground.

He must have young from all forms of life.

The lettuce also follows and the beans, everything which slightly qualifies for giving young, according to Jeus, goes into the ground and will also have to give him those young.

The children are not out of his mind for a second.

Jeus feels, all life on earth is to have children.

And that is the most beautiful thing that there is.

He drags along buckets of water, waters the lot in the ground and tomorrow he will see if young have grown.

That water is the milk; the young flowers have to drink from it, and then they will grow, to have children of their own in the future.

This is good.

You could fall asleep doing it, but that mustn’t happen, but he is crazy from thinking.

He gives the flowers a good scolding, they must not think that life passes by in sleeping or being put in a vase sometime, there is more to do, something else to experience, as long as they are well-aware of that!

And beans need not get ideas above their station; you already get two kilos for five cents.

A young dove means more, and they should be pleased that he is interested in their lives.

When he takes them out of the ground a while later, to see if they happen to have fallen asleep, and when he sees that those cursed flowers do not feel like bringing forth young, he mixes them up again and puts them back in the ground.

They shall give young!

You should hear him moaning, Crisje and Tall Hendrik.

You are missing all of this now.

You could have told him that in the evening at the table, and could even have enjoyed it, you would have changed your minds, my God, he must not go to the opera house, and certainly not to a factory, but we should send him to a University.

Nevertheless, the matter is buried.

Jeus will not be granted this honour anyway, and you, Tall Hendrik, you just laugh, just drink your bitters; he will certainly make it.

He cannot get these great problems out of his mind for a second.

His little friends no longer exist.

He has forgotten Anneke.

But he wants nothing to do with those dirty berries, they prick you, and they cost nothing.

Of course, those children also mean nothing.

Fanny helps him.

Fanny lifts his leg and waters the lettuce.

For Jeus, this is Fanny’s understanding and cooperation.

“Good gracious me, this is something, Fanny.

You have sense, and you let your mind work.

Mother should see that, and father should know, Fanny.

But goodness, we are both like Hans, we are men, Fanny!”

Today he cannot get enough of it, but they are making progress.

But that has taken weeks.

Still, it happens of its own accord.

You just have to want to think for yourself.

He is building a firm foundation.

In this ground, he will no longer sink away.

His foundation is like a rock.

He can put a world on it.

He lays stone after stone and thinks.

That is also a thought, Hendrik is now being breast-fed by mother.

The piglets also get mother’s breast, the dogs, cats, and rabbits as well.

With a dove that happens in a completely different way, and also with chickens.

He is really making a bit of progress now, isn’t he?

Another boulder added for his foundation.

Hans and the chickens are different; there is something wrong here.

Chickens lay eggs.

And the young come from those eggs.

That is something strange.

The chicken sits on the eggs, and stays sitting until the young come.

That is strange.

Now why must a chicken like that sit for such a long time?

It isn’t easy, but he must continue.

He gets no support from Bernard or Johan.

He can drop dead as far as they are concerned.

Fanny, we will continue, sparks are flying, but that doesn’t matter.

He hikes from shed to shed.

From stable to stable, from space to space.

They lie with the chickens for hours on end.

The cockerel and Hans play one role, but the cockerel does it in a different way; that monster bites the chickens.

Those chickens don’t like that, but they have no say in it.

“Goodness, Fanny, I know.”

A while later they are standing at the top of the Grintweg.

At the West’s house, they have had pups.

He wants to go there with Fanny.

“Hendrik, may we see the pups?”

“Just go to Alfred, Jeus, I have to go.”

Alfred doesn’t mind.

“But watch out for Fanny, Jeus, make sure they do not start to fight.”

“Fanny has nothing to fight about, Alfred.

Is your one vicious?”

“No, my dog does nothing, but when they have young, then you will know all about it.”

He goes inside.

They haven’t even reached the door when Fanny is already bitten away, and then he can leave.

That is something.

A while later Fanny is chasing a cat and has forgotten his boss and the young.

Then he will just have to carry on.

‘Isn’t that just a scaredy cat, Fanny?

That female is afraid that we want to steal her young.

But I know something else.

I believe, Mrs Ruikes has kittens.’

He knocks on Mrs Ruikes’ door.

Mrs Ruikes opens and asks him:

“Good day, Jeus, what do you want from me?”

“Does Mientje not have young ones, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Yes, Jeus.”

“May we just have a look at the young, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Just come in, Jeus.

Do you like cats that much, Jeus?”

“Of course, Mrs Ruikes, I like animals a lot.”

When the woman sees that he is holding Fanny firmly, she says:

“Just don’t worry about Fanny, Jeus, it has known Mientje for such a long time, haven’t you, Fanny?”

“You are right, Mrs Ruikes.

But it was just chasing a cat.”

“That is possible, Jeus, but that is a strange cat.

Fanny knows very well what it can put up with.”

“That’s true, they have known each other for such a long time.

And where are the kittens now, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Here, Jeus, here is Mieneke with the young.”

He holds one of these sweet little animals in his hands, he is allowed to touch them one by one.

What soft little bodies they have.

Young animals are beautiful and much sweeter than people are.

“Can they already drink, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Yes, Jeus, that already happens on the very day that they are born.”

“I can understand that.

How old are they now?”

“Let’s see, they are now about a fortnight old, Jeus.”

“But what nice animals they are.

They get milk from Mientje anyway, Mrs Ruikes, don’t they?”

“Yes, of course, Jeus, or did you think that I would give them the breast?”

He really has to laugh at that.

However, Mrs Ruikes is no Crisje, she laughs as well, what lovely questions this young boy can ask.

You have more with a child like that than with a big man.

Jeus gets biscuits and Fanny isn’t forgotten; he is really a visitor.

Nevertheless, he wants to know more.

“Is Mientje’s husband not here, Mrs Ruikes?”

“No, Jeus, my husband is not here.”

“I don’t mean your husband, Mrs Ruikes, I mean Mientje’s husband.”

“Oh, did you mean that, Jeus.

No, he isn’t at home.”

What a boy.

Jeus continues and asks:

“Has he abandoned Mientje then, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Yes, Jeus.”

“Goodness me, that’s bad, Mrs Ruikes.

You can’t trust those ugly males in the slightest, can you?”

“No, Jeus, you can’t trust them.”

“Or was it Mientje’s own fault, Mrs Ruikes?”

“What did you say, Jeus?”

“I said, Mrs Ruikes, maybe Mientje cheated on him.”

Mrs Ruikes has to laugh, she doesn’t know what to say.

When he follows with:

“I think she must have”, then he asks again:

“But did you not keep an eye on Mientje, Mrs Ruikes?”

“Do I have to follow Mientje day and night, Jeus?”

“No, that is not possible either, is it, those cats are on the chase day and night.

I can understand that, Mrs Ruikes.

But males, Mrs Ruikes?

Males, they are strange ones.

As long as they have something to drink.”

The elderly woman laughs,

And thinks Jeus is a sacred wonder.

Crisje is blessed with this one, she knows.

And it is no wonder that she wouldn’t miss him for the world.

He asks again:

“Are these all female cats, Mrs Ruikes?”

“We can only see that later, Jeus.”

“Why not now, Mrs Ruikes?”

“You must wait, Jeus.

You can’t know that beforehand with the doves’ either.”

“That’s true.”

Mrs Ruikes has some things to do as well.

When he is back on the street, he still doesn’t know anything.

Then he will just have to go back to the chicken run.

The cockerel there, is a man.

And those over there are his wives.

Look, the cockerel has to work; he has waited so long for this already.

A whole lot of females are walking round here.

Why does a cockerel have so many females around him?

He will just go to mother.

“Mother, why does a cockerel have so many wives?”

Crisje is too busy again.

You cannot talk to mother.

And his flowers and plants are not having children, they have died.

Fanny gets a kick; things are not working out.

He still hasn’t got to the bottom of it.

It is not possible, he has been occupied with it for months, and he is racking his brains and isn’t making much progress.

Suddenly, how is that possible, he has worked it out.

Why didn’t he think of it before.

He should have thought of Anneke, but he didn’t know what Anneke was like.

They swim in the Wetering.

And there is also Betje from ‘Achter de Kom’.

Betje is naked and is a pretty girl.

Betje doesn’t even know that she is a girl, and that there are boys, which even if she did know, Betje swims like a fish and boys do not exist for her.

But Jeus looks at her little mound.

Suddenly Jeus feels it.

Hurrah, Fanny, I’ve worked it out!

He races out of the water.

He looks at Betje and now he knows.

He is almost mad, but contains himself, he must now think about it calmly.

Betje is mother.

When Betje is bigger, she will become like mother, and the boys will become men.

He is also completely naked, they swim there and have a lovely romp, but the great story of ‘Adam and Eve’ haunts him, and he has finally thought it out for himself.

Yes, Crisje, this is how Our Lord meant it.

Paradise now still exists!

Adults sullied paradise.

Do you still believe it, Tall Hendrik?

No, they do not need to come to you with it.

But here children are in the middle of paradise and do not know any better.

Jeus is now really like the serpent, but it concerns something else completely.

After all, Jeus thinks, if there were no fathers and mothers then there wouldn’t be any children either.

Oh dear, Father, if you have something to say about paradise to this one later, then there will be blows.

Tall Hendrik, your child has tramped down Divine paradise.

That happened through thinking.

How many millions of people are there with these thoughts?

How many people do not believe that Adam and Eve sinned?

However, what would have become of Divine procreation, Tall Hendrik, if this was and would mean a sin?

You had better throw all that nonsense overboard.

Jeus will soon tell you a different story.

Betje, this Betje is sacred!

There are more Betjes in the world, but this one is still sacred, Tall Hendrik!

Moreover, your Jeus is not rotten, not bad; he has sacred thoughts.

And now he no longer needs you; he knows it!

He has become a professor, the lectures can begin, Tall Hendrik.

And what will Jeus be like when he is grown-up and starts to write?

He continues.

Now the chickens and rabbits as well.

Then afterwards the doves.

Again, Crisje sees him in the attic and with the chickens and rabbits.

He has already seen it from a rabbit.

And the doves as well; they do nothing else all day.

However, what happens inside mother, a dove broods that out and a chicken as well.

And all that can only be the case, because of what must happen inside.

Also with the turkeys and the horses, but that is the world of Hans again.

There are different sorts of animals.

A chicken is different from a dog.

Fanny is like father, but Fanny is afraid of female dogs, and that is just as well, otherwise he wouldn’t want anything more to do with Fanny.

Now he will look at Anneke with different eyes.

She can tell him more, so can mother.

If father weren’t there, mother wouldn’t have any children,

And that is why father is father.

There is no more to it, he is also a man, and when he gets married, then he must have a wife like mother.

Anneke is snappy, no, Anneke is nothing for him.

Betje is sweet.

Yes, Betje is sweet.

Betje is completely different, even if Betje just lives behind the Kom.

Everything revolves around this; no one has to tell him anymore.

Because he knows more than Bernard.

Mothers are like cows, but mothers are people and cows are animals.

Nevertheless, they have only one job; and milk is milk.

It couldn’t be better.

This is everything.

Or is there something else to think about?

He will certainly not choose a cow for himself, but a person.

Storks have nothing to do with it.

If a mother screams it comes, because she is so small-minded.

You do not hear any dog, cat, rabbit, or dove screaming when children are coming.

People are more pathetic than animals.

People make a fuss, an animal doesn’t.

Yet, he can understand that giving birth to children is painful.

Is there anything else?

If mother and father want to have a child, father has to work for it, otherwise there will be no children.

He hammers that into his head.

A dove coos.

A horse neighs.

A pig snorts.

Chickens cackle, sparrows’ chirp, that is really bad.

A cockerel crows and a turkey chatters, snakes and rats can drop dead!

People kiss each other.

He will not let his wife down later.

She must be faithful and sweet, and she must be able to cook well, but he will be the boss, just like father, and he will also be nice to his wife.

She will get everything from him.

But now he must go to mother.

“I’ve got it, mother”, Crisje gets to hear.

“So, did you get it, Jeus?”

“Yes, mother, now you do not need to tell me anymore.

I now know everything.

When Miets is born, you do not need to fool me with anything else.”

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, Crisje prays and asks:

“You must be hungry from all that thinking, Jeus?”

“Yes, mother, I am starving.”

Crisje thinks.

The child feels relieved.

However she now knows, those who are yet to be born she will teach the truth.

Father can tell her more, but he is too careful.

When it is there, you will see it for yourself.

Sooner or later you will get to hear it anyway, but then you are there yourself, or you are completely off the mark, and another one takes away your fun and sucks the child away from you.

Never again, Crisje decides!

Now he can play again.

He has been occupied for nine months.

For all those months daily life has escaped him.

He didn’t care about it.

He has experienced something else.

Crisje now feels, to give a child life, it happens by itself, but to take care of it and guide it, that is something which people cannot always do.

She also had to learn that.

Although she wanted to give her children everything, she has missed this, it has escaped her.

A child has to know everything.

And especially that which it is asking about.

And now life is good, it is great, because you have become a child again yourself, but with that great realization in your own heart.

Is there anything else, Tall Hendrik?

Having children, Jeus knows, is the greatest thing there is.

However, you have to do everything yourself for it.

Mothers give you your milk.

And later when you are big yourself, you will take over that of your mother and father, and you will then serve and work for Our Lord.

Fanny, now we will go back to the moorland and to the woods.

In a few months time, he can go to school as well.

No, it will still be a while, Fanny, we can still have a lot of adventures together.

Jeus, now just go and play.

You deserve it.

Your soul is now open to many things.

Follow the laws of Our Lord, you are safe in that!

This year, Crisje, he laid the foundations for the whole of his life and now he is centuries ahead of Johan and Bernard in these things.

No one will catch up with him, but you will only understand that later.

Jeus as well, but then the Tall One will have started!