Cornelius was standing in his prison cell. Gryphus was
in the ceil too. He was shouting at Cornelius.
'Where is my daughter?' the old jailer shouted.
Gryphus had been drinking wine. And he was holding a
heavy stick.
'Where is Rosa?' Gryphus asked again. 'I will hit you
with this stick. And then you will tell me the truth!'
Gryphus lifted his stick and he hit Cornelius. But
Cornelius was stronger than the old jailer. He took the
stick and he hit the old man.
'Help! Help!' Gryphus shouted 'The prisoner is
killing me! Help! Help!'
Some soldiers ran into the cell. They took the stick
from Cornelius. Then they left the cell. The old jailer
went with them. He locked the door.
'I hit the jailer,' Cornelius said to himself, sadly.
'Now I will die and I will never see Rosa again.'
Two hours passed. Then the cell door opened again.
Four soldiers ran into the cell.
'Cornelius Van Baerle, you must come with us!' one
of them said.
The soldiers took Cornelius out of the prison. They
put him in a coach. Quickly, the horses pulled the
coach towards Haarlem.
59
In Haarlem, the people were very happy. Somebody
had grown a black tulip. And Prince William was in
Haarlem. The Prince was going to give the prize.
The President of the Flower Society carried the
black tulip through the city. Everybody shouted. Prince
William rode on a black horse. He rode behind Van
Systens. They went towards the wide square in front of
the city hall. Many thousands of people were standing
in the square.
Cornelius Van Baerle was in Haarlem too. The soldiers
had brought him there in the coach. The coach
had stopped in the wide square. Cornelius looked out
of the window of the coach.
'Why are all these people here?' Cornelius asked a
man. 'Are they going to watch my execution?'
'No, no!' the man shouted. 'Somebody has grown a
black tulip. Prince William is going to give the prize!'
A black tulip? Where is it?' Cornelius shouted.
Prince William was near the coach, and he heard
Cornelius' words. He stopped his horse.
'Who is this man?' Prince William asked one of the
soldiers.
'This is the prisoner from Lovenstein,' the soldier
said. 'You wanted him here, in Haarlem, sir.'
'Let this man see the black tulip,' said the Prince.
Then he rode towards the city hall.
A few minutes later, the soldiers took Cornelius out
of the coach. They walked slowly to the city hall.
Prince William was sitting on a big chair in front of
the city hall. And next to the Prince's chair was a
table. On the table was the black tulip. Suddenly, the
people were quiet.
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