Free When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr Page B

and leaping over things until Anna thought she was just going to catch her—but all at once her path was blocked by a tall thin lady with a disagreeable expression. The lady appeared so suddenly, apparently from nowhere, that Anna was barely able to stop and almost collided with her.
    “Sorry,” she said, but the lady did not reply.
    “Siegfried!” she called shrilly. “Gudrun! I told you you were not to play with these children!” She grabbed hold of the German girl and pulled her away. The boy followed, but when his mother was not looking he made a funny face at Anna and waved his hands apologetically. Then the three of them disappeared into the inn.
    “What a cross woman,” said Vreneli.
    “Perhaps she thinks we’re badly brought up,” said Anna.
    They tried to go on playing chase without the German children, but it was no good and ended in the usual shambles, with Trudi in tears because she had been caught.
     
    Anna did not see the German children again until the late afternoon. They must have been shopping in Zurich for they were each carrying a parcel and their mother had several large ones. As they were about to go into the inn Anna thought this was her chance to show that she was not badly brought up. She leapt forward and opened the door for them.
    But the German lady did not seem at all pleased. “Gudrun! Siegfried!” she said and pushed her children quickly inside. Then, with a sour expression and keeping as far away from Anna as possible, she squeezed past herself. It was difficult because of the parcels which nearly stuck in the doorway, but at last she was through and disappeared. With never a word of thanks, thought Anna—the German lady was badly brought up herself!
    The next day she and Max had arranged to go up into the woods with the Zwirn children, and the day after that it rained, and the day after that Mama took them to Zurich to buy them some socks—so they did not see the German children. But after breakfast on the following morning when Anna and Max went out into the yard, there they were again playing with the Zwirns. Anna rushed up to them.
    “Shall we have a game of chase?” she said.
    “No,” said Vreneli, looking rather pink. “And any way you can’t play.”
    Anna was so surprised that for a moment she could think of nothing to say. Was Vreneli upset about the red-haired boy again? But she hadn’t seen him for ages.
    “Why can’t Anna play?” asked Max.
    Franz was as embarrassed as his sister.
    “Neither of you can,” he said and indicated the German children. “They say they’re not allowed to play with you.”
    The German children had clearly not only been forbidden to play but even to talk to them, for the boy looked as though he wanted to say something. But in the end he only made his funny apologetic face and shrugged.
    Anna and Max looked at each other. They had never met such a situation before. Then Trudi who had been listening suddenly sang out, “Anna and Max can’t play! Anna and Max can’t play!”
    “Oh, shut up!” said Franz. “Come on!” and he and Vreneli ran off towards the lake with the German children following. For a moment Trudi was taken aback. Then she sang out one last defiant “Anna and Max can’t play!” and scampered after them on her short legs.
    Anna and Max were left standing.
    “Why aren’t they allowed to play with us?” asked Anna, but Max didn’t know either. There seemed nothing to do but wander back to the dining-room where Mama and Papa were still finishing breakfast.
    “I thought you were playing with Franz and Vreneli,” said Mama.
    Max explained what had happened.
    “That’s very odd,” said Mama.
    “Perhaps you could speak to the mother,” said Anna. She had just noticed the German lady and a man who must be her husband sitting at a table in the corner.
    “I certainly will,” said Mama.
    Just then the German lady and her husband got up to leave the dining-room and Mama went to intercept them. They met