out the dinghies. When the steam-boat from town comes in, he brings deliveries ashore for the shopkeeper.
“Want a boat ride?” he asks them. “I’ve got a boat, too, you know.”
He looks at Stephie expectantly. His mouth gapes, his face is pimply.
“No,” Stephie says, pulling Nellie along. She picks up speed to pass him by.
“Are you sad, Stephie?” Nellie asks her. “Because the sailors wouldn’t take us?”
Stephie doesn’t answer.
“I’m not upset,” Nellie tells her. “I’d rather go home.”
“We’re not ever going to be able to go home,” Stephie sputters. “Don’t you see?”
“You’re mean to me,” Nellie cries. “I’m going to tell Mamma how mean you’re being.”
She starts to run up the street. Stephie runs after her, grabbing her by one braid.
“Ow,” Nellie whines, aiming a kick at Stephie’s leg.
Stephie holds on to Nellie tightly, looking her straight in the eye.
“You’re not going to write a single word about this to Mamma, do you hear? Especially not about wanting to gohome. You mustn’t write anything that will make her unhappy. Understand?”
Nellie stares angrily down at her feet and nods.
“Promise?”
Nellie nods again. Stephie lets her go, and Nellie takes a few steps back to get beyond her sister’s reach.
“But I’m going to tell Auntie Alma,” she shouts over her shoulder as she turns and runs down the street.
There’s a war on in Europe now. Papa has written and described what happened: Germany invaded Poland, then England and France declared war on Germany. Because Austria is part of the German empire, this means that Stephie’s country is also at war.
We don’t really know what this will mean for us yet
, her father wrote.
It may be more difficult to get out of the country, or just the opposite: perhaps America and other nations that are not involved in the war will now be more willing to take in refugees. Time will tell
.
During her rambles around the island, Stephie spends a lot of time thinking about all the things her father’s letter didn’t say. Will Papa have to join the army? Or be sent back to the labor camp? Will passenger boats be crossing theAtlantic during the war? Might the war spread all the way to Sweden?
One day Stephie invents a new game.
“Now we’re in Vienna,” she tells Nellie.
Nellie looks around, bewildered. “We are?”
“Don’t you see?” Stephie insists. “We’re walking down Kärntnerstrasse; we’re on the wide sidewalk there. The street is lined with fancy shops on both sides.” She points to the bedrock rising on either side of the path.
“The shop windows are bright,” she continues, “and full of beautiful things. Clothes, shoes, fur coats, perfume. Do you see?”
Nellie nods eagerly.
“Close your eyes,” Stephie tells her. “Listen carefully. Can you hear the clattering of the tramway, and the passing cars?”
She shuts her own eyes, too, listening. When you aren’t looking you can easily imagine that the breaking waves sound like traffic noises.
“Here comes a tram,” Nellie shouts. “And another.”
“Right,” Stephie agrees. “Now we’re passing the opera house. Remember when we got to go see
The Magic Flute
? You were so little you fell asleep in the middle of the second act. Now we’re turning the corner up toward Heldenplatz. Look, there’s the statue of the horseman. And an old lady feeding the pigeons.”
“I’d rather go to the park,” Nellie interrupts her. “To the playground. It’s a lot more fun there.”
“But we’re going in the other direction today,” Stephieinsists. “Tomorrow you get to decide. Come on, let’s cut across Heldenplatz.”
“Where are we headed?” Nellie asks.
“To the Freyung to see what’s for sale at the market.”
“That’s a long way,” Nellie protests. “I want to go home now.”
“No, it’s not so far. Close your eyes and hold my hand. We’ll be there soon.”
Stephie shuts her eyes again, almost
“Want a boat ride?” he asks them. “I’ve got a boat, too, you know.”
He looks at Stephie expectantly. His mouth gapes, his face is pimply.
“No,” Stephie says, pulling Nellie along. She picks up speed to pass him by.
“Are you sad, Stephie?” Nellie asks her. “Because the sailors wouldn’t take us?”
Stephie doesn’t answer.
“I’m not upset,” Nellie tells her. “I’d rather go home.”
“We’re not ever going to be able to go home,” Stephie sputters. “Don’t you see?”
“You’re mean to me,” Nellie cries. “I’m going to tell Mamma how mean you’re being.”
She starts to run up the street. Stephie runs after her, grabbing her by one braid.
“Ow,” Nellie whines, aiming a kick at Stephie’s leg.
Stephie holds on to Nellie tightly, looking her straight in the eye.
“You’re not going to write a single word about this to Mamma, do you hear? Especially not about wanting to gohome. You mustn’t write anything that will make her unhappy. Understand?”
Nellie stares angrily down at her feet and nods.
“Promise?”
Nellie nods again. Stephie lets her go, and Nellie takes a few steps back to get beyond her sister’s reach.
“But I’m going to tell Auntie Alma,” she shouts over her shoulder as she turns and runs down the street.
There’s a war on in Europe now. Papa has written and described what happened: Germany invaded Poland, then England and France declared war on Germany. Because Austria is part of the German empire, this means that Stephie’s country is also at war.
We don’t really know what this will mean for us yet
, her father wrote.
It may be more difficult to get out of the country, or just the opposite: perhaps America and other nations that are not involved in the war will now be more willing to take in refugees. Time will tell
.
During her rambles around the island, Stephie spends a lot of time thinking about all the things her father’s letter didn’t say. Will Papa have to join the army? Or be sent back to the labor camp? Will passenger boats be crossing theAtlantic during the war? Might the war spread all the way to Sweden?
One day Stephie invents a new game.
“Now we’re in Vienna,” she tells Nellie.
Nellie looks around, bewildered. “We are?”
“Don’t you see?” Stephie insists. “We’re walking down Kärntnerstrasse; we’re on the wide sidewalk there. The street is lined with fancy shops on both sides.” She points to the bedrock rising on either side of the path.
“The shop windows are bright,” she continues, “and full of beautiful things. Clothes, shoes, fur coats, perfume. Do you see?”
Nellie nods eagerly.
“Close your eyes,” Stephie tells her. “Listen carefully. Can you hear the clattering of the tramway, and the passing cars?”
She shuts her own eyes, too, listening. When you aren’t looking you can easily imagine that the breaking waves sound like traffic noises.
“Here comes a tram,” Nellie shouts. “And another.”
“Right,” Stephie agrees. “Now we’re passing the opera house. Remember when we got to go see
The Magic Flute
? You were so little you fell asleep in the middle of the second act. Now we’re turning the corner up toward Heldenplatz. Look, there’s the statue of the horseman. And an old lady feeding the pigeons.”
“I’d rather go to the park,” Nellie interrupts her. “To the playground. It’s a lot more fun there.”
“But we’re going in the other direction today,” Stephieinsists. “Tomorrow you get to decide. Come on, let’s cut across Heldenplatz.”
“Where are we headed?” Nellie asks.
“To the Freyung to see what’s for sale at the market.”
“That’s a long way,” Nellie protests. “I want to go home now.”
“No, it’s not so far. Close your eyes and hold my hand. We’ll be there soon.”
Stephie shuts her eyes again, almost
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