Kaatje’s Treasure
a myth from Holland
Hans was a cheesemaker and he lived with his wife kaatje. They had a small farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem. Every week Hans would go to market in Amsterdam with his great big round cheeses, and he would come back with some coins jingling in his pocket, and a few bulbs for his wife to plant in her little garden. Kaatje was a dreamer but Hans loved her very much.
One day as Hans was pressing the cheeses in the dairy, he noticed Kaatje was not singing as usual.
“What is wrong, my dear?” he asked. “You are not as happy as usual.”
“Oh, husband, I have had a very strange dream three nights running now. It was so real!” she whispered.
“You and your dreams,” laughed Hans. “Tell me what happened then.”
So Kaatje told him that she had dreamt she must go to Amsterdam and then walk round the Corn Exchange three times. From then on she would be rich beyond her wildest dreams. Hans thought it was another of her daft wishes, but she was very serious so eventually he agreed to walk round the Corn Exchange three times when he next went to market with his cheeses. And so Kaatje would have to wait until market day. She simply couldn’t wait that long so she crept out of the house very early the next morning while Hans was still asleep, and set off on the road to Amsterdam.
She walked and walked, and then some more and eventually she arrived in Amsterdam. She was very excited as she set off round the Corn Exchange. Once. Twice. And a final third time. Absolutely nothing happened. Kaatje sat down with a thump. Her feet were very sore. Her head ached. And she felt very silly. Whatever would Hans say when he heard where she had been. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Can I help you?” a kindly voice said. “You seem to be lost. I have watched you walk three times round the Corn Exchange.”
Kaatje looked up and there was a man, a farmer by the look of him, and he had such a kindly face that before too long kaatje was telling him her silly dream. Well, he just laughed and laughed.
“I had a dream like that once, but I Knew it was only a dream,” the farmer said. “I dreamt I had to go the dairy of a small farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem, and under the flagstones I would find a great chest of gold. Quite ridiculous! I think you should go home to your good husband and forget your dreams,” and he walked away down the street.
Kaatje could not really believe what she had heard but tired as she was, she went home again as fast as ever she could.
Hans was cross with her at first for going on such a fool’s errand, but when she demanded he dig up the dairy floor he just laughed at her. So she picked up the spade and began digging by herself.
The pile of earth grew higher and higher, and Hans despaired for his clean dairy. But then the spade struck something metal. Hans and Kaatje peered down into the hole.
An old rusting chest lay on its side, and spilling out was a great pile of coins! Well, then they both dug away with both hands and soon there was a great pile of gold coins on the dairy floor, enough to keep them in great comfort for the rest of their days. They were content with their way of life so they stayed at the farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem, and Hans went every week to market with his cheeses. But Kaatje never remembered a single one of her dreams ever again.
Kaatje’s Treasure
a myth from Holland
Hans was a cheesemaker and he lived with his wife kaatje. They had a small farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem. Every week Hans would go to market in Amsterdam with his great big round cheeses, and he would come back with some coins jingling in his pocket, and a few bulbs for his wife to plant in her little garden. Kaatje was a dreamer but Hans loved her very much.
One day as Hans was pressing the cheeses in the dairy, he noticed Kaatje was not singing as usual.
“What is wrong, my dear?” he asked. “You are not as happy as usual.”
“Oh, husband, I have had a very strange dream three nights running now. It was so real!” she whispered.
“You and your dreams,” laughed Hans. “Tell me what happened then.”
So Kaatje told him that she had dreamt she must go to Amsterdam and then walk round the Corn Exchange three times. From then on she would be rich beyond her wildest dreams. Hans thought it was another of her daft wishes, but she was very serious so eventually he agreed to walk round the Corn Exchange three times when he next went to market with his cheeses. And so Kaatje would have to wait until market day. She simply couldn’t wait that long so she crept out of the house very early the next morning while Hans was still asleep, and set off on the road to Amsterdam.
She walked and walked, and then some more and eventually she arrived in Amsterdam. She was very excited as she set off round the Corn Exchange. Once. Twice. And a final third time. Absolutely nothing happened. Kaatje sat down with a thump. Her feet were very sore. Her head ached. And she felt very silly. Whatever would Hans say when he heard where she had been. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Can I help you?” a kindly voice said. “You seem to be lost. I have watched you walk three times round the Corn Exchange.”
Kaatje looked up and there was a man, a farmer by the look of him, and he had such a kindly face that before too long kaatje was telling him her silly dream. Well, he just laughed and laughed.
“I had a dream like that once, but I Knew it was only a dream,” the farmer said. “I dreamt I had to go the dairy of a small farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem, and under the flagstones I would find a great chest of gold. Quite ridiculous! I think you should go home to your good husband and forget your dreams,” and he walked away down the street.
Kaatje could not really believe what she had heard but tired as she was, she went home again as fast as ever she could.
Hans was cross with her at first for going on such a fool’s errand, but when she demanded he dig up the dairy floor he just laughed at her. So she picked up the spade and began digging by herself.
The pile of earth grew higher and higher, and Hans despaired for his clean dairy. But then the spade struck something metal. Hans and Kaatje peered down into the hole.
An old rusting chest lay on its side, and spilling out was a great pile of coins! Well, then they both dug away with both hands and soon there was a great pile of gold coins on the dairy floor, enough to keep them in great comfort for the rest of their days. They were content with their way of life so they stayed at the farm near the crossroads by the Old Inn outside the Dutch town of Haarlem, and Hans went every week to market with his cheeses. But Kaatje never remembered a single one of her dreams ever again.
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