按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
old man never understood a word of fathers lengthy replies anyway。
today mr。 dreher phoned the office and asked mr。 kugler to e and see him。 mr。
kugler wasnt in the mood and said he would send miep； but miep canceled the appointment。 mrs。 dreher called the office three times； but since miep was reportedly out the entire afternoon； she had to imitate beps voice。 downstairs in the office as well as upstairs in the annex； there was great hilarity。 now each time the phone rings； bep says thats mrs。 dreher！〃 and miep has to laugh； so that the people on the other end of the line are greeted with an impolite giggle。 cant you just picture it？
this has got to be the greatest office in the whole wide world。 the bosses and the
office girls have such fun together！
some evenings i go to the van daans for a little chat。 we eat 〃mothball cookies鈥�
（molasses cookies that were stored in a closet that was mothproofed） and have a good time。 recently the conversation was about peter。 i said that he often pats me on the cheek； which i dont like。 they asked me in a typically grown…up way whether i could ever learn to love peter like a brother； since he loves me like a sister。 〃oh； no！〃 i said； but what i was thinking was； 〃oh； ugh！〃 just imagine！ i added that peters a bit stiff； perhaps because hes shy。 boys who arent used to being around girls are like that。
i must say that the annex mittee （the mens section） is very creative。 listen to the scheme theyve e up with to get a message to mr。 broks； an opekta co。 sales representative and friend whos surreptitiously hidden some of our things for us！
theyre going to type a letter to a store owner in southern zealand who is； indirectly； one of opekta s customers and ask him to fill out a form and send it back in the enclosed self…addressed envelope。 father will write the address on the envelope himself。 once the letter is returned from zealand； the form can be removed and a handwritten message confirming that father is alive can be inserted in the envelope。
this way mr。 broks can read the letter without suspecting a ruse。 they chose the province of zealand because its close to belgium （a letter can easily be smuggled across the border） and because no one is allowed to travel there without a special permit。 an ordinary salesman like mr。 broks would never be granted a permit。
yesterday father put on another act。 groggy with sleep； he stumbled off to bed。 his feet were cold； so i lent him my bed socks。 five minutes later he flung them to the floor。 then he pulled the blankets over his head because the light bothered him。 the lamp was switched off； and he gingerly poked his head out from under the covers。 it was all very amusing。 we started talking about the fact that peter says margot is a 〃buttinsky。〃 suddenly daddys voice was heard from the depths： 〃sits on her butt； you mean。
mouschi； the cat； is being nicer to me as time goes by； but im still somewhat afraid of her。
yours； anne
sunday； september 27； 1942
dearest kitty；
mother and i had a so…called 〃discussion〃 today； but the annoying part is that i burst into tears。 i cant help it。 daddy is always nice to me； and he also understands me much better。 at moments like these i cant stand mother。 its obvious that im a stranger to her； she doesnt even know what i think about the most ordinary things。
we were talking about maids and the fact that youre supposed to refer to them as 〃domestic help〃 these days。 she claimed that when the war is over； thats what theyll want to be called。 i didnt quite see it that way。 then she added that i talk about later〃 so often and that i act as if i were such a lady； even though im not； but i dont think building sand castles in the air is such a terrible thing to do； as long as you dont take it too seriously。 at any rate； daddy usually es to my defense。
without him i wouldnt be able to stick it out here。
i dont get along with margot very well either。 even though our family never has the same kind of outbursts they have upstairs； i find it far from pleasant。 margots and mothers personalities are so alien to me。 i understand my girlfriends better than my own mother。 isnt that a shame？
for the umpteenth time； mrs。 van daan is sulking。 shes very moody and has been removing more and more of her belongings and locking them up。 its too bad mother doesnt repay every van daan 〃disappearing act〃 with a frank 〃disappearing act。鈥�
some people； like the van daans； seem to take special delight not only in raising their own children but in helping others raise theirs。 margot doesnt need it； since shes naturally good； kind and clever； perfection itself； but i seem to have enough mischief for the two of us。 more than once the air has been filled with the van daans admonitions and my saucy replies。 father and mother always defend me fiercely。
without them i wouldnt be able to jump back into the fray with my usual posure。
they keep telling me i should talk less； mind my own business and be more modest； but i seem doomed to failure。 if father werent so patient； id have long ago given up hope of ever meeting my parents quite moderate expectations。
if i take a small helping of a vegetable i loathe and eat potatoes instead； the van daans； especially mrs。 van daan； cant get over how spoiled i am。 〃e on； anne； eat some more vegetables；〃 she says。
〃no； thank you； maam；〃 i reply。 〃the potatoes are more than enough。鈥�
〃vegetables are good for you； your mother says so too。 have some more；〃 she insists； until father intervenes and upholds my right to refuse a dish i dont like。
then mrs。 van d。 really flies off the handle： 〃you should have been at our house； where children were brought up the way they should be。 i dont call this a proper upbringing。 anne is terribly spoiled。 id never allow that。 if anne were my daughter。 。
。鈥�
this is always how her tirades begin and end： 〃if anne were my daughter。 。 。〃 thank goodness im not。
but to get back to the subject of raising children； yesterday a silence fell after mrs。
van d。 finished her little speech。 father then replied； 〃i think anne is very well brought up。 at least shes learned not to respond to your interminable sermons。 as far as the vegetables are concerned； all i have to say is look whos calling the kettle black。鈥�
mrs。 van d。 was soundly defeated。 the pot calling the ketde black refers of course to madame herself； since she cant tolerate beans or any kind of cabbage in the evening because they give her 〃gas。〃 but i could say the same。 what a dope； dont you think？
in any case； lets hope she stops talking about me。
its so funny to see how quickly mrs。 van daan flushes。 i dont； and it secredy annoys her no end。
yours； anne
monday； september 28；1942
dearest kitty；
i had to stop yesterday； though i was nowhere near finished。 im dying to tell you about another one of our clashes； but before i do id like to say this： i think its odd that grown…ups quarrel so easily and so often and about such petty matters。 up to now i always thought bickering was just something children did and that they outgrew it。 often； of course； theres sometimes a reason to have a real quarrel； but the verbal exchanges that take place here are just plain bickering。 i should be used to the fact that these squabbles are daily occurrences； but im not and never will be as long as im the subject of nearly every discussion。 （they refer to these as 〃discussions鈥�
instead of 〃quarrels；〃 but germans dont know the difference！） they criticize everything； and i mean everything； about me： my behavior； my personality； my manners； every inch of me； from head to toe and back again； is the subject of gossip and debate。 harsh words and shouts are constantly being flung at my head； though im absolutely not used to it。 according to the powers that be； im supposed to grin and
bear it。 but i cant！ i have no intention of taking their insults lying down。 ill show them that anne frank wasnt born yesterday。 theyll sit up and take notice and keep their big mouths shut when i make them see they ought to attend to their own manners instead of mine。 how dare they act that way！ its simply barbaric。 ive been astonished； time and again； at such rudeness and most of all。 。 。 at such stupidity （mrs。 van daan）。 but as soon as ive gotten used to the idea； and that shouldnt take long； ill give them a taste of their own medicine； and then theyll change their tune！
am i really as bad…mannered； headstrong； stubborn； pushy； stupid； lazy； etc。； etc。； as the van daans say i am？ no； of course not。 i know i have my faults and shortings； but they blow them all out of proportion！ if you only knew； kitty； how i seethe when they scold and mock me。 it wont take long before i explode with pent…up rage。
but enough of that。 ive bored you long enough with my quarrels； and yet i cant resist adding a highly interesting dinner conversation。
somehow we landed on the subject of pims extreme diffidence。 his modesty is a well…known fact； which even the stupidest person wouldnt dream of questioning。 all of a sudden mrs。 van daan； who feels the need to bring herself into every conversation； remarked； 〃im very modest and retiring too； much more so than my husband！鈥�
have you ever heard anything so ridiculous？ this sentence clearly illustrates that shes not exactly what youd call modest！
mr。 van daan； who felt obliged to explain the 〃much more so than my husband；鈥�
answered calmly； 〃i have no desire to be modest and retiring。 in my experience； you get a lot further by being pushy！〃 and turning to me； he added； 〃dont be modest and retiring； anne。 it will get you nowhere。鈥�
mother agreed pletely with this viewpoint。 but； as usual； mrs。 van daan had to add her two cents。 this time； however； instead of addressing me directly； she turned to my parents and said； 〃you must have a strange outlook on life to be able to say that to anne。 things were different when i was growing up。 though they probably havent changed much since then； except in your modern household！鈥�
this was a direct hit at mothers modern child…rearing methods； which shes defended on many occasions。 mrs。 van daan was so upset her face turned bright red。 people who flush easily bee even more agitated when they feel themselves getting hot under the collar； and they quickly lose to their opponents。
the nonflushed mother； who now wanted to have the matter over and done with as quickly as possible； paused for a moment to think before she replied。 〃well； mrs。 van daan； i agree that its much better if a person isnt overmodest。 my husband； margot and peter are all exceptionally modest。 your husband； anne and i； though not exactly the opposite； dont let ourselves be pushed around。鈥�
mrs。 van daan： 〃oh； but mrs。 frank； i dont understand what you mean！ honestly； im extremely modest and retiring。 how can you say that im pushy？鈥�
mother： 〃i didnt say you were pushy； but no one would describe you as having a retiring disposition。鈥�
mrs。 van d。： 〃id like to know in what way im pushy！ if i didnt look out for myself here； no one else would； and id soon starve； but that doesnt mean im not as modest and retiring as your husband。鈥�
mother had no choice but to laugh at this ridiculous self…defense； which irritated mrs。
van daan。 not exactly a born debater； she continued her magnificent account in a mixture of german and dutch； until she got so tangled up in her own words that she finally rose from her chair and was just about to leave the room when her eye fell on me。 you should have seen her！ as luck would have it； the moment mrs。 van d。 turned around i was shaking my head in a bination of passion and irony。 i wasnt doing it on purpose； but id followed her tirade so intently that my reaction was pletely involuntary。 mrs。 van d。 wheeled around and gave me a tongue…lashing：
hard； germanic； mean and vulgar； exactly like some fat； red…faced fishwife。 it was a joy to behold。 if i could draw； id like to have sketched her as she was then。 she struck me as so ical； that silly little scatterbrain！ ive learned one thing： you only really get to know a person after a fight。 only then can you judge their true character！
yours； anne
tuesday； september 29； 1942
dearest kitty；
the strangest things happen to you whe