Contents
Page
The origin of the story: regarding poetry, incurable love, false hair, and the hero of the story—The dangers of fame and the advantage of the upper shelf—The Chinaman’s pigtail, and the collar of humanity 1
An Italian robber on the “Buitensingel” in Amsterdam—The bitter suffering of the virtuous Amalia—Wax candles, the palisades of morality—The cunning of the little Hallemans—The limitations of space 9
The difference between a sugar bowl and a Bible—Leentje’s virtues and defects—An unfounded suspicion against Pennewip’s honor 18
The profound silence of Juffrouw Laps—Stoffel’s sermon—Walter’s fidelity to Glorioso—The last king of Athens—Ruined stomachs and bursted ear-drums 24
How one may become a great man—The cleverness of M’sieu Millaire—Versifying and the art of classifying everything—Hobby-horses 27
Preparations for a party—The assignment of rôles—The conflict between wishing and being—Some tricks of fancy—The two sawmills—Amalia and the ducks 34
Poetry and wigs—The vexation and despair of the latter 42
A tea-evening, and how it began—Some gaps in the author’s knowledge—Stoffel’s zoölogical joke—The cause of the last Punic war—And the advantage of smoking 48
Echoes of the last Punic war—The defeat of Hannibal (Laps) by Scipio (Pennewip) 61
Causes of the tedious peace in Europe, showing the value of a “tea-evening” as a study—Specimens of school-verse concluded—Suitable for society poets and clever children 68
Report on the condition of the leading characters after the catastrophe—Walter again: a character-study 75
Leentje as a comforter and questioner—Prince Walter and his dominions 80
Convincing proofs of Walter’s improvement—His first invitation—A study in love—Paradise and Peri 87
Great changes in the Pieterse family—Walter becomes poet-laureate at the court of Juffrouw Laps—The mountains of Asia—The bridge, Glorioso, and love—again 102
Walter’s dream—A swell coachman—Juffrouw Laps’s difficulties 117
Femke hunts for Walter, and finds him under peculiar circumstances—Her adventures by the way 125
The widower’s birthday—Klaasje’s poem, and how a surprise may involve further surprises 132
Walter’s recovery—The doctor’s pictures—Amsterdam dramaturgy 138
Pastors, sermons, and Juffrouw Laps—Chocolate, timidity, and love—The fire that didn’t break out—Some details of religious belief 150
Our hero calls on the doctor—Some strange happenings—How Walter delivered his present 161
Ophelia reaches her destination, and Femke becomes a queen—Walter’s first experience “proposing”—Choosing a profession 170
Walter enters the real world—The firm Motto, Business & Co.—The technique of the novel—And the snuff of the Romans 180
How one may become a “prodigal” by studying the story of the Prodigal Son 194
Why Walter did not see Femke—The worldliness of a servant of the church—The secret of Father Jansen’s deafness in his left ear 201
Kings and doughnuts—How the masses soar and fall—Walter’s cowardice and remorse of conscience—A good remedy for the blues 211
Our hero retires thinking of Princess Erika, to be aroused by robbers and murderers, who are in collusion with Juffrouw Laps 225
Walter alone with a pious lady, or Juffrouw Laps on the war-path 240
A midnight kiss—A wonderful statue in the “Juniper Berry”—Republicans and True Dutch hearts—A sailor with—Femke? 245
Sunrise on the “Dam”—An exciting encounter with a water-nymph—A letter from heaven—America, a haven for prodigal sons 260
A message from Femke, which Walter fails to understand—Dr. Holsma to the rescue—Femke and family portraits—Femke, and once more Femke 270
Stoffel’s view of the matter—Juffrouw Laps’s distress, and Juffrouw Pieterse’s elation—Elephants and butterflies, and Kaatje’s conception of heredity 279
A theatrical performance under difficulties—The contest between Napoleon and King Minos of Crete—A Goddess on Mt. Olympus—Kisses and rosebuds 286
Conclusion 298