Sigmund Family Memorial

Besides the poetry album, this is the only thing that still exists of Liselotte. The notebook is probably from Dutch class at school, where she copied little poems 'neatly'. On the front of the cover, she wrote her name and drew a small flower in the middle. The little poems are written with ink and a dip pen.

Snoepwinkeltje
The first poem is titled Snoepwinkeltje. It was written by Manna de Wijs-Mouton (1873-1947), a Hague-based chansonnière who wrote both the lyrics and the melody. It appeared as the sixth song in her second collection Zeven liedjes (1916), and became famous when it was sung by Jean-Louis Pisuisse at the Concertgebouw in 1918. [Wikipedia]

Children's Thoughts
The second poem is by C.S. Adama van Scheltema (1877–1924), from the collection Eenzame liedjes (1906). The rain poem - a child lying listening at night - was frequently included in school reading books.

Wag-hondjes
The third poem is called Wag-hondjes. This is Afrikaans, not Dutch.

The Early Lapwing Egg
By A.C.W. Staring (1767–1840), a funny little story about Piet Smul who buys a lapwing egg from a lad on his way from Leiden to The Hague - only to hear at the end that his grandmother had already boiled the egg the year before.

Muskiete-jag
By the Afrikaans poet A.D. Keet, a humorous poem about hunting a mosquito that has been tormenting the sleeping narrator for hours. The hero announces with great certainty that the mosquito will die - and then misses it. [Chessalee]

The Little Goat Pasture
By Jacqueline van der Waals, from the collection Broken Colors (1939). A tender little poem about a little goat in the meadow that looks at the poet with great trust. [Gedichten]