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he looks up； the cat notices it； and whoosh。 。 。 hes gone。 out the window and into the rain gutter。
peter swears； i laugh and slip out of the room。
freedom in the annex five…thirty。 beps arrival signals the beginning of our nightly freedom。 things get
going right away。 i go upstairs with bep； who usually has her dessert before the rest of us。 the moment she sits down； mrs。 van d。 begins stating her wishes。 her list usually starts with 〃oh； by the way； bep； something else id like。 。 。〃 bep winks at me。 mrs。 van d。 doesnt miss a chance to make her wishes known to whoever es upstairs。 it must be one of the reasons none of them like to go up there。
five forty…five。 bep leaves。 i go down two floors to have a look around： first to the kitchen； then to the private office and then to the coal bin to open the cat door for mouschi。
after a long tour of inspection； i wind up in mr。 kuglers office。 mr。 van daan is bing all the drawers and files for todays mail。 peter picks up boche and the warehouse key； pim lugs the typewriters upstairs； margot looks around for a quiet place to do her office work； mrs。 van d。 puts a kettle of water on the stove； mother es down the stairs with a pan of potatoes； we all know our jobs。
soon peter es back from the warehouse。 the first question they ask him is whether hes remembered the bread。 no； he hasnt。 he crouches before the door to the front office to make himself as small as possible and crawls on his hands and knees to the steel cabinet； takes out the bread and starts to leave。 at any rate； thats what he intends to do； but before he knows whats happened； mouschi has jumped over him and gone to sit under the desk。
peter looks all around him。 aha； theres the cat！ he crawls back into the office and grabs the cat by the tail。 mouschi hisses； peter sighs。 what has he acplished？
mouschis now sitting by the window licking herself； very pleased at having escaped peters clutches。 peter has no choice but to lure her with a piece of bread。 mouschi takes the bait； follows him out； and the door closes。
i watch the entire scene through a crack in the door。
mr。 van daan is angry and slams the door。 margot and i exchange looks and think the same thing： he must have worked himself into a rage again because of some blunder on mr。 kuglers part； and hes forgotten all about the keg pany next door。
another step is heard in the hallway。 dussel es in； goes toward the window with an air of propriety； sniffs。 。 。 coughs； sneezes and clears his throat。 hes out of luck it was pepper。 he continues on to the front office。 the curtains are open； which means he cant get at his writing paper。 he disappears with a scowl。
margot and i exchange another glance。 〃one less page for his sweetheart tomorrow；〃 i
hear her say。 i nod in agreement。
an elephants tread is heard on the stairway。 its dussel； seeking fort in his favorite spot。
we continue working。 knock； knock； knock。 。 。 three taps means dinnertime！
monday； august 23； 1943
wenn die uhr halb neune schlaat 。 。 。* ＇* when the clock strikes half past eight。＇ margot and mother are nervous。 〃shh 。 。 。 father。 be quiet； otto。 shh 。 。 。 pim！ its eight…thirty。
e here； you cant run the water anymore。 walk softly！〃 a sample of whats said to father in the bathroom。 at the stroke of half past eight； he has to be in the living room。 no running water； no flushing toilet； no walking around； no noise whatsoever。 as long as the office staff hasnt arrived； sounds travel more easily to the warehouse。
the door opens upstairs at eight…twenty； and this is followed by three gentle taps on the floor。 。 。 annes hot cereal。 i clamber up the stairs to get my doggie dish。
back downstairs； everything has to be done quickly； quickly： i b my hair； put away the potty； shove the bed back in place。 quiet！ the clock is striking eight…thirty！ mrs。
van d。 changes shoes and shuffles through the room in her slippers； mr。 van d。 too a veritable charlie chaplin。 all is quiet。
the ideal family scene has now reached its high point。 i want to read or study and margot does too。 father and mother ditto。 father is sitting （with dickens and the dictionary； of course） on the edge of the sagging； squeaky bed； which doesnt even have a decent mattress。 two bolsters can be piled on top of each other。 〃i dont need these；〃 he thinks。 〃i can manage without them！鈥�
once he starts reading； he doesnt look up。 he laughs now and then and tries to get mother to read a story。
〃i dont have the time right now！鈥�
he looks disappointed； but then continues to read。
a little while later； when he es across another good passage； he tries again： 〃you
have to read this； mother！鈥�
mother sits on the folding bed； either reading； sewing； knitting or studying； whichever is next on her list。 an idea suddenly occurs to her； and she quickly says； so as not to forget； 〃anne； remember to 。 。 。 margot； jot this down。 。 。 鈥�
after a while its quiet again。 margot slams her book shut； father knits his forehead； his eyebrows forming a funny curve and his wrinkle of concentration reappearing i at the back of his head； and he buries himself in his book 1 again； mother starts chatting with margot； and i get curious and listen too。 pim is drawn into the conversation 。 。 。
nine oclock。 breakfast！
锛凤挤锛贰i锛s锛╱o锛达几锛础�
SEPTEMBER； 1943
灏彙ｈ銆倀！xt…澶╁爞
friday； september 10； 1943
dearest kitty；
every time i write to you； something special has happened； usually unpleasant rather than pleasant。 this time； however； something wonderful is going on。
on wednesday； september 8； we were listening to the seven oclock news when we heard an announcement： 〃here is some of the best news of the war so far： italy has capitulated。〃 italy has unconditionally surrendered！ the dutch broadcast from england began at eight…fifteen with the news： 〃listeners； an hour and fifteen minutes ago； just as i finished writing my daily report； we received the wonderful news of italys capitulation。 i tell you； i never tossed my notes into the wastepaper basket with more delight than i did today！鈥�
〃god save the king；〃 the american national anthem and the russian internationale鈥�
were played。 as always； the dutch program was uplifting without being too optimistic。
the british have landed in naples。 northern italy is occupied by the germans。 the truce was signed on friday； september 3； the day the british landed in italy。 the germans are ranting and raving in all the newspapers at the treachery of badoglio and the italian king。
still； theres bad news as well。 its about mr。 kleiman。 as you know； we all like him very much。 hes unfailingly cheerful and amazingly brave； despite the fact that hes always sick and in pain and cant eat much or do a lot of walking。 〃when mr。 kleiman enters a room； the sun begins to shine；〃 mother said recently； and shes absolutely right。
now it seems he has to go to the hospital for a very difficult operation on his stomach； and will have to stay there for at least four weeks。 you should have seen him when he told us good…bye。 he acted so normally； as though he were just off to do an errand。
yours； anne
thursday； september 16； 1943
dearest kitty；
relationships here in the annex are getting worse all the time。 we dont dare open our mouths at mealtime （except to slip in a bite of food）； because no matter what we say； someone is bound to resent it or take it the wrong way。 mr。 voskuijl occasionally es to visit us。 unfortunately； hes not doing very well。 he isnt making it any easier for his family； because his attitude seems to be： what do i care； im going to die anyway！ when i think how touchy everyone is here； i can just imagine what it must be like at the voskuijls。
ive been taking valerian every day to fight the anxiety and depression； but it doesnt stop me from being even more miserable the next day。 a good hearty laugh would help better than ten valerian drops； but weve almost forgotten how to laugh。
sometimes im afraid my face is going to sag with all this sorrow and that my mouth is going to permanently droop at the corners。 the others arent doing any better。
everyone here is dreading the great terror known as winter。
another fact that doesnt exactly brighten up our days is that mr。 van maaren； the man who works in the warehouse； is getting suspicious about the annex。 a person with any brains must have noticed by now that miep sometimes says shes going to the lab； bep to the file room and mr。 kleiman to the opekta supplies； while mr。
kugler claims the annex doesnt belong to this building at all； but to the one next door。
we wouldnt care what mr。 van maaren thought of the situation except that hes known to be unreliable and to possess a high degree of curiosity。 hes not one who can be put off with a flimsy excuse。
one day mr。 kugler wanted to be extra cautious； so at twenty past twelve he put on his coat and went to the drugstore around the corner。 less than five minutes later he was back； and he sneaked up the stairs like a thief to visit us。 at one…fifteen he started to leave； but bep met him on the landing and warned him that van maaren was
in the office。 mr。 kugler did an about…face and stayed with us until one…thirty。 then he took off his shoes and went in his stockinged feet （despite his cold） to the front attic and down the other stairway； taking one step at a time to avoid the creaks。 it took him fifteen minutes to negotiate the stairs； but he wound up safely in the office after having entered from the outside。
in the meantime； bep had gotten rid of van maaren and e to get mr。 kugler from the annex。 but hed already left and at that moment was still tiptoeing down the stairs。 what must the passersby have thought when they saw the manager putting on his shoes outside？ hey； you there； in the socks！
yours； anne
wednesday； september 29； 1943
dearest kitty；
its mrs。 van daans birthday。 other than one ration stamp each for cheese； meat and bread； all she received from us was a jar of jam。 her husband； dussel and the office staff gave her nothing but flowers and also food。 such are the times we live in！
bep had a nervous fit last week because she had so many errands to do。 ten times a day people were sending her out for something； each time insisting she go right away or go again or that shed done it all wrong。 and when you think that she has her regular office work to do； that mr。 kleiman is sick； that miep is home with a cold and that bep herself has a sprained ankle； boyfriend troubles and a grouchy father； its no wonder shes at the end of her tether。 we forted her and told her that if shed put her foot down once or twice and say she didnt have the time； the shopping lists would shrink of their own accord。
saturday there was a big drama； the likes of which have never been seen here before。
it started with a discussion of van maaren and ended in a general argument and tears。
dussel plained to mother that he was being treated like a leper； that no one was friendly to him and that； after all； he hadnt done anything to deserve it。 this was followed by a lot of sweet talk； which luckily mother didnt fall for this time。 she told him we were disappointed in him and that； on more than one occasion； hed been a source of great annoyance。 dussel promised her the moon； but； as usual； we havent seen so much as a beam。
theres trouble brewing with the van daans； i can tell！ fathers furious because theyre cheating us： theyve been holding back meat and other things。 oh； what kind of
bombshell is about to burst now？ if only i werent so involved in all these skirmishes！
if only i could leave here！ theyre driving us crazy！
yours； anne
w w w/xiao shu otx t
OCTOBER； 1943
锛堝皬锛忚锛弔锛弜t锝滃ぉ锝滃爞锛�
sunday； october 17； 1943
dearest kitty；
mr。 kleiman is back； thank goodness！ he looks a bit pale； and yet he cheerfully set off to sell some clothes for mr。 van daan。 the disagreeable fact is that mr。 van daan has run out of money。 he lost his last hundred guilders in the warehouse； which is still creating trouble for us： the men are wondering how a hundred guilders could wind up in the warehouse on a monday morning。 suspicion abounds。 meanwhile； the hundred guilders have been