FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1942
Dear Kitty,
Ive deserted you for aire month, but so little has happehat I t find a
newsworthy item to relate every single day. The van Daans arrived on July 13. We thought they were ing on the fourteenth, but from the thirteenth to sixteenth the Germans were sending out call-up notices right a and causing a lot of u, so they decided it would be safer to leave a day too early than a day too late.
Peter van Daan arrived at hirty in the m (while we were still at breakfast). Peters going on sixteen, a shy, awkward boy whose pany wont amount to much. Mr. and Mrs. van Daan came half an hour later.
Much to our amusement, Mrs. van Daan was carrying a hatbox with a large chamber pot inside. "I just dont feel at home without my chamber pot," she exclaimed, and it was the first item to find a perma plader the divan. Instead of a chamber pot, Mr. van D. was lugging a collapsible tea table under his arm.
From the first, we ate our meals together, and after three days it felt as if the seven of us had bee one big family. Naturally, the van Daans had much to tell about the week wed been away from civilization. We were especially ied in what had happeo our apartment and toldschmidt.
Mr. van Daan filled us in: "Monday m at nine, Mr. Goldschmidt phoned and asked if I could e over. I went straightaway and found a very distraught Mr.
Goldschmidt. He showed me a hat the Frank family had left behind. As instructed, he lanning t the cat to the neighbors, which I agreed was a good idea. He was afraid the house was going to be searched, so we w=nt through all the rooms, straightening up here and there and clearing the breakfast things off the table. Suddenly I saw a notepad on Mrs. Franks desk, with an address in Maastricht written on it. Even though I knew Mrs. Frank had left it on purpose, I preteo be surprised and horrified and begged Mr. Goldschmidt to burn this incriminating piece of paper. I swore up and down that I knew nothing about your disappearance, but that the note had given me an idea. Mr. Goldschmidt, I said, I bet I know what this address refers to. About six months ago a high-ranking officer came to the office. It seems he and Mr. Frank grew up together. He promised to help Mr. Frank if it was ever necessary. As I recall, he was stationed in Maastricht. I think this officer has kept his word and is somehow planning to help them cross over to Belgium and then to Switzerland. Theres no harm in telling this to any friends of the Franks who e asking about them. Of course, you doo mention the part about Maastricht. And after that I left. This is the story most of your friends have been told, because I heard it later from several other people.」
We thought it was extremely funny, but we laughed even harder when Mr. van Daan told us that certain people have vivid imaginations. For example, one family living on
our square claimed they sawall four of us riding by on our bikes early in the m, and another woman was absolutely positive wed been loaded into some kind of military vehicle in the middle of the night.
Yours, Anne
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1942
Dear Kitty,
Now our Secret Annex has truly bee secret.
Because so many houses are being searched for hidden bicycles, Mr. Kugler thought it would be better to have a bookcase built in front of the entrao our hiding place.
It swings out on its hinges and opens like a door. Mr. Voskuijl did th