arrived, heavenly! Daddy himself treated us to spiced gingerbread, beer for the gentlemen, and yoghurt for the ladies. Enjoyment all around!
Yours, Anne
Tuesday, 16 May, 1944
Dearest Kitty, Just for a change, as we haven’t talked about them for so long, I want to tell you about a little discussion that went on between Mr. and Mrs. van Daan yesterday.
Mrs. van Daan: “The Germans are sure to have made the Atlantic Wall very strong indeed, they will certainly do all in their power to hold back the English. It’s amazing how strong the Germans are!”
Mr. van Daan: “Oh yes, incredibly.”
Mrs. van Daan: “Ye-es.”
Mr. van Daan: “Do you mean the Germans are so strong they’re sure to win the war in the end, in spite of everything!”
Mrs. van Daan: “It’s quite possible, I’m not convinced of the opposite yet.”
Mr. van Daan: “I won’t bother to reply any more.” Mrs. van Daan: “Still you always do answer me, you can’t resist capping me every time.”
Mr. van Daan: “Of course not, and my replies are kept to the bare minimum.”
Mrs. van Daan: “Still you do reply, and you always have to be in the right! Your prophecies often don’t come true by a long shot.”
Mr. van Daan: “They have up till now.”
Mrs. van Daan: “That’s not true. The invasion was to have come last year, and the Finns were to have been out of the war by now. Italy was
