Hitler’s daughter - Jackie French
Het verhaal speelt in Australië (Australia). Hitler komt uit Oostenrijk (Austria)
Chapter 1 The Game
Ben, Mark, LittleTracey and Anna were waiting for the bus in the bus shelter because of the rain.
(they don’t live in a town but in a village, Mark is talking about the wet cows). They played The Game
because it's raining. The Game started last year on Little Tracey’s second day at school because she
cried Anna suggested they would play a game. The Story Game, Anna used to play it with her
grandma. This time Anna decides what the story is about: Hitler’s daughter. Little Tracey makes up
the name Heidi. Heidi lives in a big house and Fräulein Gelber is her nanny, she looks after her. Hitler
kept Heidi a secret because she had red (birth)mark on her face and she limped (one leg was shorter
than the other). Anna wants to stop with the story, but Little Tracey wants the story about Heidi. No
one knows about Heidi. He kept her a secret because she had a great red blotch/mark (birthmark)
across her face and one leg was shorter than the other, she limped (liep mank). Hitler wanted to
breed a perfect race. Children with blond hair, blue eyes, tall children who could run and jump and
conquer (veroveren) the world. Ben thinks the story is weird (vreemd). Mark asks what happened to
Heidi her mother, Anna thinks she died. Mark wants her to continue. Anna says when it still is raining.
Chapter 2 Mark decides
Markthinks that the story is there in Anna’s mind. But it is almost like she doesn’t want tot tell it at
all. Mark wants to know more about Hitler’s daughter, Heidi. In the bus back home he asks if Anna
will go on with the story tomorrow. She will continue because Mark really wants her to. They decide
to come 15 minutes early the next day (they tell their parents they have to talk about a project for
school) to let Anna get in the story without Ben interrupting (beause they will not tell Ben they will
be early).
Chapter 3 The story continues
Mark asks his mother a few things about Hitler. Hitler had killed 11 million people (Jews, gypsies
(zigeuners), people in Trade Unions (vakbonden) and people who were disabled in some way) to get
a Super Race (a pure Aryan race). She tells about the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens won, he was black.
He won from the Super Race, Hitler didn’t even wanted to shake his hand. They are at the bus
shelter. Anna tells that Ben is not coming, he got a cold. Heidi didn’t go to school because people
could discover she was Hitler’s daughter. Or they might tease (plagen) her with the mark on her face.
She had lessons from Fräulein Gelber instead and did not go to school. She did go to church some
times. Anna wants to stop again with the story because it is not working. But Mark asks her to start
with the sentence: As far back as I can remember…. Anna: ‘As far back as Heidi could remember…..
Chapter 4 Remembering
Fräulein Gelber looked after Heidi as long as she could remember. Frau Mundt (widow) looked after
her sometimes, when Fräulein Gelber visited her family. One day she told her about the Great War
(World War I) when they had no food. Then it was 1932 and they went to hear the Fürher give a
great speech. He told that he was on the side of the unemployed (Frau Mundt and her husband
Willi). He would get them job, and make Germany proud and free again. Frau Mundt is very in favour
of (is voor) Hitler. Heidi realises that Frau Mundt is talking about Duffi, her father.
Mark asks how she knows that Hitler is her father. Anna says she just knows. Hitler calls her ‘my little
girl’.
1
, In the morning Heidi gets lessons from Fräulein Gelber and in the afternoons they walked. Fräulein
Gelber knows a lot about flowers, grasses and birds (cuckoo = koekoek, thrush = lijster). Sometimes
they fed the carp (karper) bread. Heidi found hedgehogs (= egels) freezing in a winter. They kept
them in a basket by the hearth of the stove, Heidi fed them. When they were set free, Heidi didn’t
see them again.
Frau Mundt’s daughter Lotte joined the Bund Deutsche Mädel, Heidi would have liked that but she
was not allowed. She didn’t go to school, was not allowed to play with other girls. Everybody told her
she was so lucky, she had her lovely home, good food, Fräulein Gelber and Duffi who loved her. Heidi
hoped that Duffi would tell her that of all his German Children he loved her best.
Mark asks Anna how Heidi could want someone like Duffi love her. Someone who did such horrible
things. Anna replied: He was her father. And Heidi didn’t know about the concentration camps and
the Jews. Heidi never saw newspapers. She was in the middel of everything, but she knew less than
anyone outside. She knew there was war. But no one said that it was Hitler’s fault. The people who
worked in the household, thought Hitler was wonderful and that’s what they told Heidi. So why
would Heidi think any differently?
On Heidi’s birthday party Duffi didn’t come. He sent her a doll from Paris. It had black hair, like Heidi
it was better than her other dolls as they were blond. But the doll didn’t have a (birth) mark
(wijnvlek) on her face like Heidi.
First time Heidi realises something is wrong is when one day Fräulein Geldber was late for lesson. She
was crying over a letter in the garden. Her brother was sent to the Russian front. She says that he will
die and that Germany will never win this war. Then suddenly she looks frightened, as if she
remembers Heidi is Hitler’s daughter, and tells her to forget what she has said and that Germany will
win the war.
Second time Heidi realises something is wrong is when she is in the kitchen and she hears that the
sister of Freya who is not quite right in the head is killed at the special school she was living. Frau
Mundt says dat sometimes thing like that have to happen. Because we cannot have weaklings in the
new German race (pure Aryan race). She then also tells about the Jews. Heidi has also read about it in
Duffi’s book, the ‘Jewish problem’. Fräulein Gelber tells that the Jews are different. That is why the
Führer wants to separate them. So they can’t endanger the lifeblood of the German people, so they
can’t weaken it.
Then little Tracey says the bus is coming.
Chapter five Mark wonders
After dinner Mark tells himself, it is only a story. It isn’t true but there are true things in it. That’s
what is puzzling him…none of Anna’s other stories had had true things in them before.
Marks asks his father: ‘Why was Hitler so down on (zo tegen) Jews?’ His father has no idea. Then
Mark asks what he has to do when his father was like Hitler. His father answers ‘I suppose I’d want
you to do what you thought was right. If we do ever disagree about things , I hope we’ll be able to
talk about it. Still meet and be a family, no matter how much we argue.’ Then he asks ‘What would
you do when I was a mass murderer?’ His father would try to help him but still would turn him into
the police. He would have to. And he would still love Mark but in a different way.
Chapter six Anna continues
Soon after Heidi had asked Fräulein Gelber about the Jews that they had to move house because it
will be safer in the new place. Nearer to the family of Fräulein Gelber, her father died many years ago
that is why she has to work. Het father was a friend of Duffi. Fräulein Gelber finds it an honour to
work in the Führer’s household. She didn’t marry because she didn’t want to give up her work, after
all the Führer has done for her family.
2
Het verhaal speelt in Australië (Australia). Hitler komt uit Oostenrijk (Austria)
Chapter 1 The Game
Ben, Mark, LittleTracey and Anna were waiting for the bus in the bus shelter because of the rain.
(they don’t live in a town but in a village, Mark is talking about the wet cows). They played The Game
because it's raining. The Game started last year on Little Tracey’s second day at school because she
cried Anna suggested they would play a game. The Story Game, Anna used to play it with her
grandma. This time Anna decides what the story is about: Hitler’s daughter. Little Tracey makes up
the name Heidi. Heidi lives in a big house and Fräulein Gelber is her nanny, she looks after her. Hitler
kept Heidi a secret because she had red (birth)mark on her face and she limped (one leg was shorter
than the other). Anna wants to stop with the story, but Little Tracey wants the story about Heidi. No
one knows about Heidi. He kept her a secret because she had a great red blotch/mark (birthmark)
across her face and one leg was shorter than the other, she limped (liep mank). Hitler wanted to
breed a perfect race. Children with blond hair, blue eyes, tall children who could run and jump and
conquer (veroveren) the world. Ben thinks the story is weird (vreemd). Mark asks what happened to
Heidi her mother, Anna thinks she died. Mark wants her to continue. Anna says when it still is raining.
Chapter 2 Mark decides
Markthinks that the story is there in Anna’s mind. But it is almost like she doesn’t want tot tell it at
all. Mark wants to know more about Hitler’s daughter, Heidi. In the bus back home he asks if Anna
will go on with the story tomorrow. She will continue because Mark really wants her to. They decide
to come 15 minutes early the next day (they tell their parents they have to talk about a project for
school) to let Anna get in the story without Ben interrupting (beause they will not tell Ben they will
be early).
Chapter 3 The story continues
Mark asks his mother a few things about Hitler. Hitler had killed 11 million people (Jews, gypsies
(zigeuners), people in Trade Unions (vakbonden) and people who were disabled in some way) to get
a Super Race (a pure Aryan race). She tells about the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens won, he was black.
He won from the Super Race, Hitler didn’t even wanted to shake his hand. They are at the bus
shelter. Anna tells that Ben is not coming, he got a cold. Heidi didn’t go to school because people
could discover she was Hitler’s daughter. Or they might tease (plagen) her with the mark on her face.
She had lessons from Fräulein Gelber instead and did not go to school. She did go to church some
times. Anna wants to stop again with the story because it is not working. But Mark asks her to start
with the sentence: As far back as I can remember…. Anna: ‘As far back as Heidi could remember…..
Chapter 4 Remembering
Fräulein Gelber looked after Heidi as long as she could remember. Frau Mundt (widow) looked after
her sometimes, when Fräulein Gelber visited her family. One day she told her about the Great War
(World War I) when they had no food. Then it was 1932 and they went to hear the Fürher give a
great speech. He told that he was on the side of the unemployed (Frau Mundt and her husband
Willi). He would get them job, and make Germany proud and free again. Frau Mundt is very in favour
of (is voor) Hitler. Heidi realises that Frau Mundt is talking about Duffi, her father.
Mark asks how she knows that Hitler is her father. Anna says she just knows. Hitler calls her ‘my little
girl’.
1
, In the morning Heidi gets lessons from Fräulein Gelber and in the afternoons they walked. Fräulein
Gelber knows a lot about flowers, grasses and birds (cuckoo = koekoek, thrush = lijster). Sometimes
they fed the carp (karper) bread. Heidi found hedgehogs (= egels) freezing in a winter. They kept
them in a basket by the hearth of the stove, Heidi fed them. When they were set free, Heidi didn’t
see them again.
Frau Mundt’s daughter Lotte joined the Bund Deutsche Mädel, Heidi would have liked that but she
was not allowed. She didn’t go to school, was not allowed to play with other girls. Everybody told her
she was so lucky, she had her lovely home, good food, Fräulein Gelber and Duffi who loved her. Heidi
hoped that Duffi would tell her that of all his German Children he loved her best.
Mark asks Anna how Heidi could want someone like Duffi love her. Someone who did such horrible
things. Anna replied: He was her father. And Heidi didn’t know about the concentration camps and
the Jews. Heidi never saw newspapers. She was in the middel of everything, but she knew less than
anyone outside. She knew there was war. But no one said that it was Hitler’s fault. The people who
worked in the household, thought Hitler was wonderful and that’s what they told Heidi. So why
would Heidi think any differently?
On Heidi’s birthday party Duffi didn’t come. He sent her a doll from Paris. It had black hair, like Heidi
it was better than her other dolls as they were blond. But the doll didn’t have a (birth) mark
(wijnvlek) on her face like Heidi.
First time Heidi realises something is wrong is when one day Fräulein Geldber was late for lesson. She
was crying over a letter in the garden. Her brother was sent to the Russian front. She says that he will
die and that Germany will never win this war. Then suddenly she looks frightened, as if she
remembers Heidi is Hitler’s daughter, and tells her to forget what she has said and that Germany will
win the war.
Second time Heidi realises something is wrong is when she is in the kitchen and she hears that the
sister of Freya who is not quite right in the head is killed at the special school she was living. Frau
Mundt says dat sometimes thing like that have to happen. Because we cannot have weaklings in the
new German race (pure Aryan race). She then also tells about the Jews. Heidi has also read about it in
Duffi’s book, the ‘Jewish problem’. Fräulein Gelber tells that the Jews are different. That is why the
Führer wants to separate them. So they can’t endanger the lifeblood of the German people, so they
can’t weaken it.
Then little Tracey says the bus is coming.
Chapter five Mark wonders
After dinner Mark tells himself, it is only a story. It isn’t true but there are true things in it. That’s
what is puzzling him…none of Anna’s other stories had had true things in them before.
Marks asks his father: ‘Why was Hitler so down on (zo tegen) Jews?’ His father has no idea. Then
Mark asks what he has to do when his father was like Hitler. His father answers ‘I suppose I’d want
you to do what you thought was right. If we do ever disagree about things , I hope we’ll be able to
talk about it. Still meet and be a family, no matter how much we argue.’ Then he asks ‘What would
you do when I was a mass murderer?’ His father would try to help him but still would turn him into
the police. He would have to. And he would still love Mark but in a different way.
Chapter six Anna continues
Soon after Heidi had asked Fräulein Gelber about the Jews that they had to move house because it
will be safer in the new place. Nearer to the family of Fräulein Gelber, her father died many years ago
that is why she has to work. Het father was a friend of Duffi. Fräulein Gelber finds it an honour to
work in the Führer’s household. She didn’t marry because she didn’t want to give up her work, after
all the Führer has done for her family.
2
