From the Diary of Anne Frank

At thirteen, Anne felt that writing in a diary was a strange experience—partly because she had never written anything before, and partly because she believed that later on neither she nor anyone else would be interested in the musings of a schoolgirl.

1.1 The Proverb and the Emptiness of Acquaintances:

One day, feeling slightly depressed and sitting at home with her chin in her hands, she remembered the proverb: 'Paper has more patience than people.'

"I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed... Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I'm not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook... unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won't make a bit of difference."

1.2 The Paradox of Loneliness:

Anne clarifies that she was not completely alone in the world: she had loving parents, a sixteen-year-old sister (Margot), and about thirty people she could call friends. She had a loving family and a good home. Yet, with her friends, she could only have a good time talking about ordinary everyday things; she could never bring herself to get any closer or confide her deepest secrets. To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in her imagination, she did not want to jot down facts as most people do, but named the diary 'Kitty'.

Before confiding in Kitty, Anne provides a concise biographical sketch of her family, realizing that no one would understand a word of her stories without some background.

2.1 Family Odyssey:

Anne considered her father, Otto Frank, the most adorable father she had ever seen; he married her mother, Edith Hollander Frank, when he was thirty-six and she was twenty-five. Her sister Margot was born in Frankfurt in 1926, and Anne followed on 12 June 1929.

On Anne's birthday in 1942, her grandmother's candle was lit alongside the others, marking the start of her formal diary entry on 20 June 1942.

On Saturday, 20 June 1942, Anne writes about the tension gripping her entire class as the teachers' meeting approaches.

3.1 Quaking in Their Boots:

The entire class was shaking with fear. The reason was the forthcoming meeting where the teachers decided who would move up to the next form and who would be kept back. Half the class was making bets. Her friends G.N. and C.N. staked their entire holiday savings on whether they would pass or fail.

3.2 Anne's Shrewd Assessment of Teachers:

Anne felt confident about her girlfriends and herself, except in mathematics. Regarding her teachers, she offered a brilliant, wry observation:

"There are nine teachers, seven men and two women. Mr. Keesing, the old fogey who teaches maths, was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much... In my view, teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth!"

After several warnings about her incessant talking during mathematics class, Mr. Keesing assigned Anne extra homework: an essay on the topic 'A Chatterbox'.

4.1 Essay 1: 'A Chatterbox' (The Genetic Defence):

Anne refused to write mere garbage words spaced far apart just to fill pages. She came up with a convincing argument: she argued that talking was a fundamental student's trait, and promised to do her best to keep it under control. However, she could never cure herself of the habit because her mother talked as much as she did, and there is not much you can do about inherited traits! Mr. Keesing read it and burst out laughing.

4.2 Essay 2: 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox':

When Anne started chatting again during the next lesson, Keesing assigned her a second essay: 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox'. Anne handed it in, and for two whole lessons, she did not utter a peep.

4.3 Essay 3: 'Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox':

In the third lesson, Keesing lost his patience again: 'Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled—Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox.' The class roared with laughter. Anne realized that her creativity on the topic of chatterboxes was exhausted; she needed something entirely fresh.

With the help of her friend Sanne, who was gifted at poetry, Anne decided to write the entire third assignment in verse.

5.1 The Allegory of the Swan Father:

Anne composed a beautiful, hilarious poem about a mother duck, a father swan, and their three baby ducklings. In the poem, the father swan bit the baby ducklings to death because they quacked too much!

5.2 Mr. Keesing's Gracious Reaction:

Fortunately, Mr. Keesing possessed the magnanimity to take the joke the right way. He read the poem out loud to Anne's class, adding his own appreciative comments, and later read it to several other classes as well. From that day on:

• Anne was allowed to talk freely in his mathematics class.
• No further punishment essays were ever assigned to her.
• Mr. Keesing himself was transformed, frequently cracking jokes in class.