poekie_katrientje

It was the day before Christmas, Marten and Katrientje were going to see the Christmas tree in the church, but Marten had gotten sick. Awful it was! Imagine, it was the first time that they would help decorate the tree. Marten had found a big pine cone and glued silver paper on it, and Katrientje had cut out a beautiful gold paper star. Now all the work had been for nothing. Marten could barely stop his tears and Katrientje was standing quietly by his bed while she thought of how she could still find a Christmas tree for him. Even if it was just a very little tree. And then .... suddenly Katrientje knew. 'I have to leave for a moment,' she said to Marten and put the cat down on the floor. She looked in the kitchen for her mother, but she was still tending the goats in the barn. Quickly Katrientje put on her winter coat, her head-scarf and her mittens. The cat was looking with big eyes, he thought he was going out to play with her in the snow, but that wasn't happening. Katrientje said, 'I'm going to get a surprise. You stay with Marten and keep him company.'
Katrientje tip-toed out of the house. There was the sled and the shovel they used for the snowman. They had so much fun this morning, first they had gone sledding and Marten had pulled her, and then they had made a snowman. Now poor Marten was sick, but she was going to find him a Christmas tree and how happy he would be. There Katrientje went, on her red slippers through the high snow. She looked back to see if mother had seen her, but no. Now she could surprise her father and mother too!
Her feet sunk deep into the snow, she had to pull up high each time she made a step. As far as she could see everything was white. The world was covered with one big white blanket, and at the very end of it was like a wall the big, big forest. Katrientje looked like a little doll in that wide white world. Courageously she stepped on towards that big dark forest to find a Christmas tree. It would be so festive in the house, in her mind she could already see the candles burning in the tree. Finally she came under the first big trees. She felt quite tired from lifting up her feet. Sometimes she had sunk down to her knees in the snow. But now she was in the big forest. What a tall trees. Imagine taking one of those home. But they wouldn't even fit in the house, you could only see those in the church. Katrientje remembered last year, so many candles and so many children, and Marten and her... Oh poor Marten! Now he couldn't come to see the tree in the church. And thinking like this, Katrientje walked around, looking left and right to find a tiny little tree for Marten. And there in the middle of an opening surrounded by tall trees was just the perfect sweet little tree that Katrientje had imagined. 'Are you the tree which I may take home for Marten?' Katrientje quietly asked. As an answer a piece of snow fell from one of its branches and Katrientje decided it meant yes. So she started digging. So much snow! Every time the snow would fall back in the hole she had dug and she had to start over. Of course she had to be careful, because her father had taught her to never pull plants out of the ground as they would never be able to grow again. Finally the roots came bare. Carefully Katrientje pulled the little tree out of the ground and laid it on the sled. That had been a lot of work, she had gotten all warm from it. She rested for a moment on the sled. Just then she felt how wet her feet and red slippers were. She should go home soon, it was already getting dark. She checked to make sure the tree was safe on the sled and started walking, pulling the sled behind her. Home. Where was that? Which way had she come? She looked and saw the big tree that she had passed. That must be the direction. But when she got there, there was another big tree, and another... What was she going to do? Everywhere she looked she saw trees and trees and more trees. She didn't know the way home anymore.
		There she was, all alone in the big dark forest not knowing her way home. Suddenly she had to cry. She was so tired, her feet were so wet, and how was she going to get home? Her little voice sounded very lonely in the quiet forest. But there came another voice, 'Caw, Caw,' it said. Katrientje stopped dead still. The sound came from up above, and there on a fat snowy branch sat a jay. His black and white feathers shone beautifully. 'Caw, caw, do you want to go home?' Katrientje could only nod her head in her surprise. 'Come with me,' called the jay as he swooped down in front of Katrientje. He hopped ahead of her and Katrientje followed with her sled.
The jay chatted and chatted and strangely Katrientje understood every word. 'Don't be afraid. I shall help you. I know you. Much hunger now and no food. But you don't forget us. You always give us crumbs. That's why I help you.' And chatting like this, the jay hopped on and Katrientje followed. He was very beautiful. His feathers shone so bright, and his tail was sometimes green, then purple, then black. There they stood in front of a gigantic fir tree, which was completely hollow. 'Caw, caw, go inside,' the jay said hopping back and forth. 'But I want to go home,' said Katrientje with scared eyes. 'Yes, yes, all is good, go inside.' Katrientje looked inside and saw a long, dark staircase. But at the bottom there was light, and it seemed very warm and friendly. So much, that she didn't think any longer and put her foot on the first step. 'Caw, caw,' said the jay and fluttered ahead of her. With thumping heart she descended the steps. The light got brighter, and when she stood on the bottom step, what did she see?
A small hole filled with animals from the forest. A fox, bunnies, a squirrel and all sorts of birds. Animals that you would never see so peacefully together. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was wonderfully warm and without thinking she stepped into the circle of animals. Immediately some bunnies came over and sat down on her lap, starting a conversation with their squeekie voices. But Katrientje didn't really understand that. With the fox it went better. When Katrientje asked, 'What are you all doing here?' he answered with a low voice, 'We are waiting for the Christmas night.' Then Katrientje remembered her mother telling her, 'Whoever loses the way in this night, does not have to be afraid, because no animal shall harm him.'
And there she was. If mother knew how kind the animals all were. And suddenly she started to cry. The bunnies hopped off scared and thumped their paws on the ground. A little winter king bird which sat on her red slipper, called, 'Now what? Now What? Now What?' 'My brother,' cried Katrientje, I wish my brother was here. I have to go to my brother.' 'Where do you live?' asked the fox. 'In the forester's house,' said Katrientje. Suddenly all the animals brightened up and started chatting. The little winter king bird called, 'Good man, good man, good man.' 'Come,' said the fox, 'I will bring you home.' He got up and looked at Katrientje with his slanted eyes. 'Come along with me now,' said he, as he walked ahead up the stairs. Katrientje, still surprised, greeted everyone kindly and followed the fox up the long staircase.
		The fox was already standing by the sled, sniffing it from all sides. He took the rope in his mouth and handed it to Katrientje. 'Tie me up. I will pull you,' he said. 'Isn't that much too heavy?' whispered Katrientje, 'Why don't you let me walk.' 'Not necessary,' grumbled the fox, and Katrientje sat down. The fox jerked the rope a few times and although his legs sank deep into the snow, the sled floated over it. Something was fluttering around them. It was the jay. 'I'll show the way,' he cawed. But the fox grumbled again, 'Not necessary.' He walked for a long time like this. Sometimes he would stop and sniff the air all around before continuing on again.
Katrientje was sitting with big round eyes on her sled, holding tightly onto the tree, afraid to lose it. Trees and trees and trees, would it ever end? What if the fox didn't know her house. But the jay knew, he often came for some bread crumbs. No, these animals knew the way, that was clear. The fox walked on steadily and the jay flew ever straight ahead. Suddenly the jay came back and cawed loudly. The fox stood still and sniffed deeply to one side. There was a sound of breaking branches and a man appeared in between the trees. He was wearing big boots and a fur hat. 'Father,' cried Katrientje, 'Oh father is it you?' With a pull the fox has loosened the rope and with a 'Farewell,' he disappeared. The jay flew in a tree to watch with curiosity. In three steps her father was by her and picked her up, holding her close to his scared and pale face. 'What happened,' he asked shaking. 'Oh father,' cheered Katrientje, 'all the animals have been so kind to me. Listen.' Just then she turned around and behind a big tree she could see the tip of a snout and tail, and next to it a little black bird. 'Look father,' pointed Katrientje ... but they were gone.

Father took Katrientje tightly in his arm, got the rope of the sled and started walking with great big steps. 'Child, child,' said father, 'We have been so worried. What did you do?' Then Katrientje started to tell about poor Marten, and the little tree, about the jay and the warm hole and the fox who was bringing her home. 'And oh father, they all love you, they said so themselves.' Father continued on walking quietly with big steps and he thought of the miraculous evening that his child had been able to understand the animals. He knew that this could happen during the Christmas night, but only for those who had never had one bad thought towards human or animal.
At home, mother and Marten were waiting with tears in their eyes. When father walked in with Katrientje on his arm, and all had been told, and Marten had gotten his little Christmas tree, everything was well again. So it came that this was the most beautiful Christmas feast they ever had.

Written in Dutch by Rien Kooyman. First published in Holland in 1964 by Kris Kras Uitgeversmaatschappij. Translated into English by Sophia.

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Poekie Nook, name and concept, Poekie babies, patterns, drawings, text, photos, and design are all created by Sophia van der Harst. Unauthorized reproductions of the Poekie Nook designs and photos, and copying of the Poekie Nook pages is prohibited.