Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig

Author:Sandi Toksvig
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781596432475
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

My heart was so full of adrenaline and excitement that I thought I would explode if I didn’t tell someone, but when I got in, the flat was silent. Mama and Orlando were sitting in the drawing room. Papa was home. I might be a big resistance fighter now but that didn’t mean I couldn’t run and throw myself into his arms.

“Papa, you’re home. Oh, we missed you.” He looked tired and pale as he hugged me close. “Hello, my boy. Did you think I could miss Christmas with you? I have a present for you, Bamse, but first I just need to talk to your mother and Orlando. You go to your room for a minute.”

Orlando reached out to stop me. “No, it’s OK, Papa, Bamse has done more than you know.”

Mama was wearing black, so I knew the conversation was to be serious.

“While I was in Arhus,” explained Papa, “a ship docked from Norway. Everyone knew what it was.” He rubbed his eyes. He looked shattered. “The Germans have arrested all the Norwegian Jews. There were five hundred and thirty of them, and they were on their way to a concentration camp at a place called Auschwitz. Everyone in Arhus knew. There they were, in a Danish harbor, and none of us could do anything about it. Those poor people down in the hold of that boat like cattle. I felt so helpless.” Papa turned to my brother. “I was wrong, Orlando. I thought we could just sit it out, but we have to do something.” He looked at Mama, who was sitting silently. “Marie, you cannot talk about this to anyone.”

We all looked at Mama. Keeping quiet about anything was not what she did best.

Mama clasped her hands to her breast in horror at our looks. “Oh boys, for goodness’ sake. There are no secrets except the secrets that keep themselves and surely this … you know”—Mama waved airily about her—”is … well, one of those.”

“George Bernard Shaw,” said Papa.

“Well, maybe,” replied Mama with a sniff, “but true nonetheless. Oh, my lovely boys.” She gathered us all to her as she declared, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces towards change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”

Papa patted her cheek. “Helen Keller.”

Mama rose, slightly offended. “I was brilliant as that poor deaf, blind woman. Now then … a resistance outfit.” She drifted off to her bedroom, calling over her shoulder, “Orlando, is there a particular color everyone is wearing?”

So now the whole family was going to be in the resistance. I felt a great surge of pride—as if Mr. and Mrs. Beilin were as good as saved. I wanted to rush off and tell Anton.

“We must tell Masha,” said Papa. Masha. I hadn’t thought about Masha and her friend in green.

“Papa—” I began, but then the doorbell sounded, and we could hear Lisa shuffle off to open it. Even though we had done nothing, the three of us froze.

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