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ive known a lot of sorrow； but who hasnt at my age？ ive been putting on an act； but was hardly even aware of it。 ive felt lonely； but never desperate！ not like father； who once ran out into the street with a knife so he could put an end to it all。 ive never gone that far。
i should be deeply ashamed of myself； and i am。 whats done cant be undone； but at least you can keep it from happening again。 id like to start all over； and that shouldnt be difficult； now that i have peter。 with him supporting me； i know i can do it！ im not alone anymore。 he loves me； i love him； i have my books； my writing and my diary。 im not all that ugly； or that stupid； i have a sunny disposition； and i want to develop a good character！
yes； anne； you knew full well that your letter was unkind and untrue； but you were actually proud of it！ ill take father as my example once again； and i will improve myself。
yours； anne
m。 frank
monday； may 8； 1944
dearest kitty；
have i ever told you anything about our family？ i dont think i have； so let me begin。
father was born in frankfurt am main to very wealthy parents： michael frank owned
a bank and became a millionaire； and alice sterns parents were prominent and well…to…do。 michael frank didnt start out rich； he was a self…made man。 in his youth father led the life of a rich mans son。 parties every week； balls； banquets； beautiful girls； waltzing； dinners； a huge house； etc。 after grandpa died； most of the money was lost； and after the great war and inflation there was nothing left at all。 up until the war there were still quite a few rich relatives。 so father was extremely well…bred； and he had to laugh yesterday because for the first time in his fifty…five years； he scraped out the frying pan at the table。
mothers family wasnt as wealthy； but still fairly well…off； and weve listened openmouthed to stories of private balls； dinners and engagement parties with 250 guests。
were far from rich now； but ive pinned all my hopes on after the war。 i can assure you； im not so set on a bourgeois life as mother and margot。 id like to spend a year in paris and london learning the languages and studying art history。 pare that with margot； who wants to nurse newborns in palestine。 i still have visions of gorgeous dresses and fascinating people。 as ive told you many times before； i want to see the world and do all kinds of exciting things； and a little money wont hurt！
this morning miep told us about her cousins engagement party； which she went to on saturday。 the cousins parents are rich； and the grooms are even richer。 miep made our mouths water telling us about the food that was served： vegetable soup with meatballs； cheese； rolls with sliced meat； hors doeuvres made with eggs and roast beef； rolls with cheese； genoise； wine and cigarettes； and you could eat as much as you wanted。
miep drank ten schnapps and smoked three cigarettes could this be our temperance advocate？ if miep drank all those； i wonder how many her spouse managed to toss down？ everyone at the party was a little tipsy； of course。 there were also two officers from the homicide squad； who took photographs of the wedding couple。 you can see were never far from mieps thoughts； since she promptly noted their names and addresses in case anything should happen and we needed contacts with good dutch people。
our mouths were watering so much。 we； whod had nothing but two spoonfuls of hot cereal for breakfast and were absolutely famished； we； who get nothing but half…cooked spinach （for the vitamins！） and rotten pota… toes day after day； we； who fill our empty stomachs with nothing but boiled lettuce； raw lettuce； spinach； spinach and more spinach。 maybe well end up being as strong as popeye； though up to now ive seen no sign of it！
if miep had taken us along to the party； there wouldnt have been any rolls left over for the other guests。 if wed been there； wed have snatched up everything in sight； including the furniture。 i tell you； we were practically pulling the words right out of her mouth。 we were gathered around her as if wed never in all our lives heard of鈥�
delicious food or elegant people！ and these are the granddaughters of the distinguished millionaire。 the world is a crazy place！
yours； anne
m。 frank
tuesday； may 9； 1944
dearest kitty；
ive finished my story about ellen； the fairy。 ive copied it out on nice notepaper； decorated it with red ink and sewn the pages together。 the whole thing looks quite pretty； but i dont know if its enough of a birthday present。 margot and mother have both written poems。
mr。 kugler came upstairs this afternoon with the news that starting monday； mrs。
broks would like to spend two hours in the office every afternoon。 just imagine！ the office staff wont be able to e upstairs； the potatoes cant be delivered； bep wont get her dinner； we cant go to the bathroom； we wont be able to move and all sorts of other inconveniences！ we proposed a variety of ways to get rid of her。 mr。 van daan thought a good laxative in her coffee might do the trick。 〃no；〃 mr。 kleiman answered； 〃please dont； or well never get her off the can。
a roar of laughter。 〃the can？〃 mrs。 van d。 asked。 〃what does that mean？〃 an explanation was given。 〃is it all right to use that word？〃 she asked in perfect innocence。 〃just imagine；〃 bep giggled； 〃there you are shopping at the bijenkorf and you ask the way to the can。 they wouldnt even know what you were talking about！鈥�
dussel now sits on the 〃can；〃 to borrow the expression； every day at twelve…thirty on the dot。 this afternoon i boldly took a piece of pink paper and wrote：
mr。 dussels toilet timetable mornings from 7： 15 to 7：30 a。m。
afternoons after 1 p。m。
otherwise； only as needed！
i tacked this to the green bathroom door while he was still inside。 i might well have added transgressors will be subject to confinement！〃 because our bathroom can be locked from both the inside and the outside。
mr。 van daans latest joke：
after a bible lesson about adam and eve； a thirteen…year…old boy asked his father； 〃tell me； father； how did i get born？鈥�
〃well；〃 the father replied； 〃the stork plucked you out of the ocean； set you down in mothers bed and bit her in the leg； hard。 it bled so much she had to stay in bed for a week。鈥�
not fully satisfied； the boy went to his mother。 〃tell me； mother；〃 he asked； 〃how did you get born and how did i get born？鈥�
his mother told him the very same story。 finally； hoping to hear the fine points； he went to his grandfather。 〃tell me； grandfather；〃 he said； 〃how did you get born and how did your daughter get born？〃 and for the third time he was told exactly the same story。
that night he wrote in his diary： 〃after careful inquiry； i must conclude that there has been no sexual intercourse in our family for the last three generations！鈥�
i still have work to do； its already three oclock。
yours； anne
m。 frank
ps。 since i think ive mentioned the new cleaning lady； i just want to note that shes married； sixty years old and hard of hearing！ very convenient； in view of all the noise that eight people in hiding are capable of mak… ing。
oh； kit； its such lovely weather。 if only i could go outside！
wednesday； may 10； 1944
dearest kitty；
we were sitting in the attic yesterday afternoon working on our french when suddenly i heard the splatter of water behind me。 i asked peter what it might be。 without pausing to reply； he dashed up to the loft…the scene of the disaster and shoved
mouschi； who was squatting beside her soggy litter box； back to the right place。 this was followed by shouts and squeals； and then mouschi； who by that time had finished peeing； took off downstairs。 in search of something similar to her box； mouschi had found herself a pile of wood shavings； right over a crack in the floor。 the puddle immediately trickled down to the attic and； as luck would have it； landed in and next to the potato barrel。 the cethng was dripping； and since the attic floor has also got its share of cracks； little yellow drops were leaking through the ceiling and onto the dining table； between a pile of stockings and books。
i was doubled up with laughter； it was such a funny sight。 there was mouschi crouched under a chair； peter armed with water； powdered bleach and a cloth； and mr。
van daan trying to calm everyone down。 the room was soon set to rights； but its a well…known fact that cat puddles stink to high heaven。 the potatoes proved that all too well； as did the wood shavings； which father collected in a bucket and brought downstairs to burn。
poor mouschi！ how were you to know its impossible to get peat for your box？
anne thursday； may 11； 1944
dearest kitty；
a new sketch to make you laugh：
peters hair had to be cut； and as usual his mother was to be the hairdresser。 at seven twenty…five peter vanished into his room； and reappeared at the stroke of seven…thirty； stripped down to his blue swimming trunks and a pair of tennis shoes。
〃are you ing？〃 he asked his mother。
〃yes； ill be up in a minute； but i cant find the scissors！鈥�
peter helped her look； rummaging around in her cosmetics drawer。 〃dont make such a mess； peter；〃 she grumbled。
i didnt catch peters reply； but it must have been insolent； because she cuffed him on the arm。 he cuffed her back； she punched him with all her might； and peter pulled his arm away with a look of mock horror on his face。 〃e on； old girl！〃
mrs。 van d。 stayed put。 peter grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her all around the room。 she laughed； cried； scolded and kicked； but nothing helped。 peter led his prisoner as far as the attic stairs； where he was obliged to let go of her。 mrs。 van d。
came back to the room and collapsed into a chair with a loud sigh。
〃die enifu〃hruna der mutter；〃。 i joked。 ＇* the abduction of mother； a possible reference to mozarts opera the abduction from the seraglio。＇ 〃yes； but he hurt me。鈥�
i went to have a look and cooled her hot； red wrists with water。 peter； still by the stairs and growing impa… tient again； strode into the room with his belt in his hand； like a lion tamer。 mrs。 van d。 didnt move； but stayed by her writing desk； looking for a handkerchief。 〃youve got to apologize first。鈥�
〃all right； i hereby offer my apologies； but only because if i dont； well be here till midnight。鈥�
mrs。 van d。 had to laugh in spite of herself。 she got up and went toward the door； where she felt obliged to give us an explanation。 （by us i mean father； mother and me； we were busy doing the dishes。） 〃he wasnt like this at home；〃 she said。 〃id have belted him so hard hed have gone flying down the stairs ＇！＇。 hes never been so insolent。 this isnt the first time hes deserved a good hiding。 thats what you get with a modern upbringing； modern children。 id never have grabbed my mother like that。 did you treat your mother that way； mr。 frank？〃 she was very upset； pacing back and forth； saying whatever came into her head； and she still hadnt gone upstairs。
finally； at long last； she made her exit。
less than five minutes later she stormed back down the stairs； with her cheeks all puffed out； and flung her apron on a chair。 when i asked if she was through； she replied that she was going downstairs。 she tore down the stairs like a tornado； probably straight into the arms of her putti。
she didnt e up again until eight； this time with her husband。 peter was dragged from the attic； given a merciless scolding and showered with abuse： ill…mannered brat； no…good bum； bad example； anne this； margot that； i couldnt hear the rest。
everything seems to have calmed down again today！
yours； anne
m。 frank
p。s。 tuesday and wednesday evening our beloved queen addressed the country。 shes taking a vacation so shell be in good health for her return to the netherlands。
she used words like 〃soon； when im back in holland；〃 〃a swift liberation；〃 〃heroism鈥�
and 〃heavy burdens。鈥�
this was followed by a speech by prime minister gerbrandy。 he has such a squeaky little childs voice that mother instinctively said； 〃oooh。〃 a clergyman； who must have borrowed his voice from mr。 edel； concluded by asking god to take care of the jews； all those in concentration camps and prisons and everyone working in germany