EDNESDAY, SEPtEMBER 2, 1942
Dearest Kitty,
Mr. and Mrs. van Daan errible fig, since Mot dream of sing at eac. t rivial it didnt seem ing a single .
Oo each his own.
Of course, its very difficult for Peter, akes Peter seriously anymore, since ive and lazy. Yesterday ongue ead of pink. t came. today a stiff neck. oo. Ac, kidneys and lungs are also par for te s t it?)
Mot getting along very ion. to give you one small example, Mrs. van D. ts from our communal linen closet. S Moty surprise her has followed her lead.
Furticked off because were using ead of ours.
Sill trying to find out es; t closer ttic, bea advertising material. As long as of s, its just as erday I broke one of Mrs. van D.s soup bowls.
quot;O; s;Cant you be more careful? t one.”
Please bear in mind, Kitty, t tc dare comment on tlemen: ted). If you o tempts, youd lauging out ting t e Mote proper Dutcead of trying to duplicate their speech.
Last erruption in our monotonous routine. ter -- and a book about and Peter are alloo read nearly all t ts preferred to keep to tely piqued Peters curiosity. forbidden fruit did it contain? alking, and took y to t. For two days all was well. Mrs.
van Daan kne kept mum until Mr. van Daan found out about it. , took t ed to take y into account. Peter, not in t fazed by action, began to read t of tly interesting book.
In time, Mrs. van D. asked Mot ticular book able for Margot, but sting other books.
You see, Mrs. van Daan, Mot and Peter. to begin s a girl, and girls are alure than boys.
Second, s go looking for ts mucellectually advanced, as a result of an excellent school.”
Mrs. van Daan agreed felt it ter of principle to let youngsters read books ten for adults.
Meanable time ed in eit seven-ty in tire family ening to te office, ook reasure and stole off to t again. -ty, but time and coming doairs follo surprising: after a slap, a able and Peter .
tters stood ime for to eat. Peter stayed upstairs. No one gave s t; o go to bed inued eating, cting merrily aared at eache shock clearly visible on our pale faces.
ters voice t;I come do;
Mr. van Daan leapt up, o ted, o ;Ive had enough!”
Fat mig to ttic. After mucruggling and kicking, Peter on eating.
Mrs. van Daan ed to save a piece of bread for Mr. van D.
. quot;If apologize te, o sleep in t.”
e protested t going dinner er o catc be able to call a doctor.
Peter didnt apologize, and returned to t.
Mr. van Daan decided to leave morning t Peters bed in. At seven Peter to ttic again, but o come doairs ubborn silence, everyto normal.
Yours, Anne
MONDAY, SEPtEMBER 21, 1942
Dearest Kitty,
today Ill tell you ted above my divan bed so t in ture, c. I cant use it at t because tle, day and night.
tingent a very ained food safe, o noed in Peters room, but in terests of fress been moved to ttic. once stood, ter to put able underneatable noands. t migtle cubbyainly like to sleep there.
Mrs. van Daan is unbearable. Im continually being scolded for my incessant cter t off me! Madame now has a
nerick up rying to get out of of food left at ttom of t to spoil instead of transferring it to a glass disernoon uck s and pans, Madame exclaims, quot;O, you o do!”
Every otten for girls my age.
Im entic about ter s books very muc Summer four times, and tuations still make me laugh.
Fatly ree, and ells me somet eac Frenco my Ive forgotten mucoo muc I learned in school.
Peter aken up reluctance. A fe name for Fats me to cly o tutor ance s. But unbelievable mistakes!
I sometimes listen to tcs from London. Prince Bernly announced t Princess juliana is expecting a baby in January, in the Royal Family.
A fe, I to my sc day, since I tle desire to still be a freseen or fifteen. t t Im o read anyt t, Motlemen, ives and Servants, and of course Im not alloo read it (t is!). First I o be more intellectually developed, like my genius of a sister. tely looked up tionary!). Its true, I dont kno ts. But maybe Ill be smarter next year!
Ive come to t I o er. Fato knit a er; t very pretty, but itll be s s.
Some of our clot unfortunately be able to get to it until after ts still there, of course.
Id just finising somet Mrs. van Daan .
quot; I even take a peek?”
quot;No, Mrs. van Daan.”
quot;Just t page then?”
quot;No, not even t page, Mrs. van Daan.”
Of course, I nearly died, since t particular page contained a rattering description of her.
t Im too tired and lazy to e it all down.
Yours, Anne
FRIDAY, SEPtEMBER 25, 1942
Dearest Kitty,
Faties named Mr. Dre. At y-seven years younger and equally poor, over from more prosperous days. t nuisance to Fatly patience ic old man on till living at o advise o put a gramop of t every tes, quot;Yes, Mr. Dre; and quot;No, Mr. Dre; since tood a hy replies anyway.
today Mr. Dreo come and see him. Mr.
Kugler in t Miep canceled tment. Mrs. Dreimes, but since Miep edly out tire afternoon, so imitate Beps voice. Doairs in tairs in t y. Nos Mrs. Dre; and Miep o laug ted e giggle. Cant you just picture it?
t to be test office in the
office girls ogether!
Some evenings I go to ttle c. e eat quot;mothball cookies”
(molasses cookies t ored in a closet t ime. Recently tion Peter. I said t en pats me on t like. typically groer like a broter. quot;O; I said, but ;O; Just imagine! I added t Peters a bit stiff, per used to being around girls are like t.
I must say t ttee (tion) is very creative. Listen to to get a message to Mr. Broks, an Opekta Co. sales representative and friend iously hings for us!
to type a letter to a store oly, one of Opekta s customers and ask o fill out a form and send it back in te tter is returned from Zealand, tten message confirming t Fated in the envelope.
tter suspecting a ruse. ts close to Belgium (a letter can easily be smuggled across to travel t a special permit. An ordinary salesman like Mr. Broks ed a permit.
Yesterday Fat on anot. Groggy umbled off to bed. es later o ts over botc from under t arted talking about t t Peter says Margot is a quot;buttinsky.quot; Suddenly Daddys voice s on t, you mean.
Mousc, is becoming nicer to me as time goes by, but Im still somew afraid of her.
Yours, Anne
SUNDAY, SEPtEMBER 27, 1942
Dearest Kitty,
Mot;discussionquot; today, but t is t I burst into tears. I cant . Daddy is alo me, and ands me mucter. At moments like t stand Mots obvious t Im a stranger to even kno t ordinary things.
e alking about maids and t t youre supposed to refer to t;domestic ; t to be called. I didnt quite see it t I talk about laterquot; so often and t I act as if I I dont tles in terrible to do, as long as you dont take it too seriously. At any rate, Daddy usually comes to my defense.
it be able to stick it out here.
I dont get along very bursts tairs, I find it far from pleasant. Margots and Moties are so alien to me. I understand my girlfriends better t t a shame?
For teentime, Mrs. van Daan is sulking. Ss too bad Mot repay every van Daan quot;disappearing actquot; ;disappearing act.”
Some people, like to take special delig only in raising t in doesnt need it, since surally good, kind and clever, perfection itself, but I seem to ions and my saucy replies. Father always defend me fiercely.
it t be able to jump back into th my usual composure.
telling me I salk less, mind my o, but I seem doomed to failure. If Fat so patient, Id ing my parents quite moderate expectations.
If I take a small able I loat potatoes instead, t get over ;Come on, Anne, eat some more vegetables,quot; she says.
quot;No, t; I reply. quot;tatoes are more than enough.”
quot;Vegetables are good for you; your motoo. ; ss, until Fatervenes and up to refuse a dis like.
t;You s our up t call terribly spoiled. Id never allo. If Anne er. .
.”
tirades begin and end: quot;If Anne .
But to get back to t of raising cerday a silence fell after Mrs.
van D. finistle speec;I t up. At least s to respond to your interminable sermons. As far as tables are concerned, all I o say is look wtle black.”
Mrs. van D. ed. t calling tde black refers of course to Madame tolerate beans or any kind of cabbage in t;gas.quot; But I could say t a dope, dont you think?
In any case, lets ops talking about me.
Its so funny to see , and it secredy annoys her no end.
Yours, Anne
MONDAY, SEPtEMBER 28,1942
Dearest Kitty,
I o stop yesterday, to tell you about anot before I do Id like to say ts odd t groen and about sucty matters. Up to no bickering somet tgre. Often, of course, times a reason to t take place plain bickering. I so t t t Im not and never of nearly every discussion. (to t;discussions”
instead of quot;quarrels,quot; but Germans dont knoicize everyt me: my bey, my manners; every inco toe and back again, is t of gossip and debate. s are constantly being flung at my ely not used to it. According to t be, Im supposed to grin and
bear it. But I cant! I ention of taking ts lying do born yesterday. t up and take notice and keep t o attend to tead of mine. t s simply barbaric. Ive been astonisime and again, at suc of all. . . at sucupidity (Mrs. van Daan). But as soon as Ive gotten used to t s take long, Ill give taste of tune!
Am I really as bad-mannered, rong, stubborn, pusupid, lazy, etc., etc., as t. I kno t of proportion! If you only knety, take long before I explode -up rage.
But enoug. Ive bored you long enoug I cant resist adding a eresting dinner conversation.
Some of Pims extreme diffidence. y is a , person dream of questioning. All of a sudden Mrs. van Daan, ion, remarked, quot;Im very modest and retiring too, muchan my husband!”
ence clearly illustrates t s exactly !
Mr. van Daan, o explain t;muchan my husband,”
ans;I o be modest and retiring. In my experience, you get a lot furt; And turning to me, ;Dont be modest and retiring, Anne. It you nowhere.”
Motely . But, as usual, Mrs. van Daan o add s. time, ead of addressing me directly, surned to my parents and said, quot;You must range outlook on life to be able to say t to Anne. t w c in your modern household!”
t at Mot urned brigated o ts.
ted to ter over and done to t;ell, Mrs. van Daan, I agree t its mucter if a person isnt overmodest. My and Peter are all exceptionally modest. Your exactly te, dont let ourselves be pushed around.”
Mrs. van Daan: quot;O Mrs. Frank, I dont understand remely modest and retiring. Im pushy?”
Mot;I didnt say you ion.”
Mrs. van D.: quot;Id like to kno for myself arve, but t doesnt mean Im not as modest and retiring as your husband.”
Mot to laug tated Mrs.
van Daan. Not exactly a born debater, sinued account in a mixture of German and Dutcil s so tangled up in s about to leave t, t Mrs. van D. turned around I doing it on purpose, but Id folloently t my reaction ely involuntary. Mrs. van D. wongue-lashing:
ly like some fat, red-faced fis o beo cruck me as so comical, t silly little scatterbrain! Ive learned one t to knoer a figrue cer!
Yours, Anne
tUESDAY, SEPtEMBER 29, 1942
Dearest Kitty,
trangest to you o picture this.
Because ub, and because t er in tire loake turns making t of t opportunity. But since none of us are alike and are all plagued by varying degrees of modesty, eache
family ed a different place to akes a batc s time for o eacurn and announces t tc o be sufficient. Mr. van D. takes airs, figuring t ty of er up all tairs. Mrs. van D. to take a bating to see e office and Motc and I office to be our batains are draurday afternoon, in t tains and gazes in the endlessly amusing people.
A like t and for more comfortable baters. It er urn on t, lock t ter anyones the fear of being seen.
I used my lovely bat time on Sunday and, strange as it may seem, I like it better ther place.
t airs on ednesday, moving ter pipes and drains from to t freeze during a cold er. t . Not only alloo run er during t ts. Ill tell you unseemly of me to bring it up, but Im not so prudis matters of t, sacrificing a canning jar for tion of t, canning jars into service during time to ure. As far as I as o sit still all day and not say a o talk or move at all is ten times worse.
After tant sitting, my backside iff and sore. Nighenics helped.
Yours, Anne