ake　his　sons　curiosity　into　account。　peter；　not　in　the　least　fazed　by　his　fathers　swift　action；　began　thinking　up　ways　to　read　the　rest　of　this　vastly　interesting　book。
  in　the　meantime；　mrs。　van　d。　asked　mother　for　her　opinion。　mother　didnt　think　this　particular　book　was　suitable　for　margot；　but　she　saw　no　harm　in　letting　her　read　most　other　books。
  you　see；　mrs。　van　daan；　mother　said；　theres　a　big　difference　between　margot　and　peter。　to　begin　with；　margots　a　girl；　and　girls　are　always　more　mature　than　boys。
  second；　shes　already　read　many　serious　books　and　doesnt　go　looking　for　those　which　are　no　longer　forbidden。　third；　margots　much　more　sensible　and　intellectually　advanced；　as　a　result　of　her　four　years　at　an　excellent　school。鈥?br />
  mrs。　van　daan　agreed　with　her；　but　felt　it　was　wrong　as　a　matter　of　principle　to　let　youngsters　read　books　written　for　adults。
  meanwhile；　peter　had　thought　of　a　suitable　time　when　no　one　would　be　interested　in　either　him　or　the　book。　at　seven…thirty　in　the　evening；　when　the　entire　family　was　listening　to　the　radio　in　the　private　office；　he　took　his　treasure　and　stole　off　to　the　loft　again。　he　should　have　been　back　by　eight…thirty；　but　he　was　so　engrossed　in　the　book　that　he　forgot　the　time　and　was　just　ing　down　the　stairs　when　his　father　entered　the　room。　the　scene　that　followed　was　not　surprising：　after　a　slap；　a　whack　and　a　tug…of…war；　the　book　lay　on　the　table　and　peter　was　in　the　loft。
  this　is　how　matters　stood　when　it　was　time　for　the　family　to　eat。　peter　stayed　upstairs。　no　one　gave　him　a　moments　thought；　hed　have　to　go　to　bed　without　his　dinner。　we　continued　eating；　chatting　merrily　away；　when　suddenly　we　heard　a　piercing　whistle。　we　lay　down　our　forks　and　stared　at　each　other；　the　shock　clearly　visible　on　our　pale　faces。
  then　we　heard　peters　voice　through　the　chimney：　〃i　won　t　e　down！〃
  mr。　van　daan　leapt　up；　his　napkin　falling　to　the　floor；　and　shouted；　with　the　blood　rushing　to　his　face；　〃ive　had　enough！鈥?br />
  father；　afraid　of　what　might　happen；　grabbed　him　by　the　arm　and　the　two　men　went　to　the　attic。　after　much　struggling　and　kicking；　peter　wound　up　in　his　room　with　the　door　shut；　and　we　went　on　eating。
  mrs。　van　daan　wanted　to　save　a　piece　of　bread　for　her　darling　son；　but　mr。　van　d。
  was　adamant。　〃if　he　doesnt　apologize　this　minute；　hell　have　to　sleep　in　the　loft。鈥?br />
  we　protested　that　going　without　dinner　was　enough　punishment。　what　if　peter　were　to　catch　cold？　we　wouldnt　be　able　to　call　a　doctor。
  peter　didnt　apologize；　and　returned　to　the　loft。
  mr。　van　daan　decided　to　leave　well　enough　alone；　though　he　did　note　the　next　morning　that　peters　bed　had　been　slept　in。　at　seven　peter　went　to　the　attic　again；　but　was　persuaded　to　e　downstairs　when　father　spoke　a　few　friendly　words　to　him。　after　three　days　of　sullen　looks　and　stubborn　silence；　everything　was　back　to　normal。
  yours；　anne　monday；　september　21；　1942
  dearest　kitty；
  today　ill　tell　you　the　general　news　here　in　the　annex。　a　lamp　has　been　mounted　above　my　divan　bed　so　that　in　the　future；　when　i　hear　the　guns　going　off；　ill　be　able　to　pull　a　cord　and　switch　on　the　light。　i　cant　use　it　at　the　moment　because　were　keeping　our　window　open　a　little；　day　and　night。
  the　male　members　of　the　van　daan　contingent　have　built　a　very　handy　wood…stained　food　safe；　with　real　screens。　up　to　now　this　glorious　cupboard　has　been　located　in　peters　room；　but　in　the　interests　of　fresh　air　its　been　moved　to　the　attic。　where　it　once　stood；　theres　now　a　shelf。　i　advised　peter　to　put　his　table　underneath　the　shelf；　add　a　nice　rug　and　hang　his　own　cupboard　where　the　table　now　stands。　that　might　make　his　little　cubbyhole　more　fy；　though　i　certainly　wouldnt　like　to　sleep　there。
  mrs。　van　daan　is　unbearable。　im　continually　being　scolded　for　my　incessant　chatter　when　im　upstairs。　i　simply　let　the　words　bounce　right　off　me！　madame　now　has　a
  new　trick　up　her　sleeve：　trying　to　get　out　of　washing　the　pots　and　pans。　if　theres　a　bit　of　food　left　at　the　bottom　of　the　pan；　she　leaves　it　to　spoil　instead　of　transferring　it　to　a　glass　dish。　then　in　the　afternoon　when　margot　is　stuck　with　cleaning　all　the　pots　and　pans；　madame　exclaims；　〃oh；　poor　margot；　you　have　so　much　work　to　do！鈥?br />
  every　other　week　mr。　kleiman　brings　me　a　couple　of　books　written　for　girls　my　age。
  im　enthusiastic　about　the　loop　ter　heul　series。　ive　enjoyed　all　of　cissy　van　marxveldts　books　very　much。　ive　read　the　zaniest　summer　four　times；　and　the　ludicrous　situations　still　make　me　laugh。
  father　and　i　are　currently　working　on　our　family　tree；　and　he　tells　me　something　about　each　person　as　we　go　along。　ive　begun　my　schoolwork。　im　working　hard　at　french；　cramming　five　irregular　verbs　into　my　head　every　day。　but　ive　forgotten　much　too　much　of　what　i　learned　in　school。
  peter　has　taken　up　his　english　with　great　reluctance。　a　few　schoolbooks　have　just　arrived；　and　i　brought　a　large　supply　of　notebooks；　pencils；　erasers　and　labels　from　home。　pim　（thats　our　pet　name　for　father）　wants　me　to　help　him　with　his　dutch　lessons。　im　perfectly　willing　to　tutor　him　in　exchange　for　his　assistance　with　french　and　other　subjects。　but　he　makes　the　most　unbelievable　mistakes！
  i　sometimes　listen　to　the　dutch　broadcasts　from　london。　prince　bernhard　recently　announced　that　princess　juliana　is　expecting　a　baby　in　january；　which　i　think　is　wonderful。　no　one　here　understands　why　i　take　such　an　interest　in　the　royal　family。
  a　few　nights　ago　i　was　the　topic　of　discussion；　and　we　all　decided　i　was　an　ignoramus。　as　a　result；　i　threw　myself　into　my　schoolwork　the　next　day；　since　i　have　little　desire　to　still　be　a　freshman　when　im　fourteen　or　fifteen。　the　fact　that　im　hardly　allowed　to　read　anything　was　also　discussed。　at　the　moment；　mothers　reading　gentlemen；　wives　and　servants；　and　of　course　im　not　allowed　to　read　it　（though　margot　is！）。　first　i　have　to　be　more　intellectually　developed；　like　my　genius　of　a　sister。　then　we　discussed　my　ignorance　of　philosophy；　psychology　and　physiology　（i　immediately　looked　up　these　big　words　in　the　dictionary！）。　its　true；　i　dont　know　anything　about　these　subjects。　but　maybe　ill　be　smarter　next　year！
  ive　e　to　the　shocking　conclusion　that　i　have　only　one　long…sleeved　dress　and　three　cardigans　to　wear　in　the　winter。　fathers　given　me　permission　to　knit　a　white　wool　sweater；　the　yarn　isnt　very　pretty；　but　itll　be　warm；　and　thats　what　counts。
  some　of　our　clothing　was　left　with　friends；　but　unfortunately　we　wont　be　able　to　get　to　it　until　after　the　war。　provided　its　still　there；　of　course。
  id　just　finished　writing　something　about　mrs。　van　daan　when　she　walked　into　the　room。　thump；　i　slammed　the　book　shut。
  〃hey；　anne；　cant　i　even　take　a　peek？鈥?br />
  〃no；　mrs。　van　daan。鈥?br />
  〃just　the　last　page　then？鈥?br />
  〃no；　not　even　the　last　page；　mrs。　van　daan。鈥?br />
  of　course；　i　nearly　died；　since　that　particular　page　contained　a　rather　unflattering　description　of　her。
  theres　something　happening　every　day；　but　im　too　tired　and　lazy　to　write　it　all　down。
  yours；　anne　friday；　september　25；　1942
  dearest　kitty；
  father　has　a　friend；　a　man　in　his　mid…seventies　named　mr。　dreher；　whos　sick；　poor　and　deaf　as　a　post。　at　his　side；　like　a　useless　appendage；　is　his　wife；　twenty…seven　years　younger　and　equally　poor；　whose　arms　and　legs　are　loaded　with　real　and　fake　bracelets　and　rings　left　over　from　more　prosperous　days。　this　mr。　dreher　has　already　been　a　great　nuisance　to　father；　and　ive　always　admired　the　saintly　patience　with　which　he　handled　this　pathetic　old　man　on　the　phone。　when　we　were　still　living　at　home；　mother　used　to　advise　him　to　put　a　gramophone　in　front　of　the　receiver；　one　that　would　repeat　every　three　minutes；　〃yes；　mr。　dreher〃　and　〃no；　mr。　dreher；〃　since　the　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?br />
  （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。