At The Dokter
Noortje sits dreamily on her swing and looks out over the garden and the lake. The swans swim happily on the lake with their seven children. As soon as one of the little ones is too far away from the parents, daddy swan comes into action.
‘No. no.., we’re not going out alone. We had agreed that you would stay close to Mom and Dad,’ he says forcefully.
Noortje jumps off the swing and sits down on the side of the lake. The swan family is swimming stately in her direction.
‘Aren’t my children handsome,’ asks daddy swan. ‘They’re still grey, but later they’re just as snow-white as my wife and I,’ and proudly like a peacock, he flutters with his wings.
‘I like them very much,’ Noortje mumbles.
Mother Swan jumps out of the water and sits down in front of Noortje. Taps against Noortje’s head with her beak.
‘Don’t, I don’t like that. I already have a headache,’ Noortje says.
‘Why are you so sad my dear? The weather is so nice, what more do you want?’
‘I would get seven golden eggs from you. Ah, never mind. I need to see the doctor, my mother says. Mom doesn’t believe anything I tell about you and the others in the tree. She thinks I’m very foolish.’
Mommy swan sits down next to her and places her head in her lap. She says softly: ‘Oh, my dear, what can a little girl like you do with seven golden eggs. That only makes you sad.’
Noortje strokes the soft feathers of the swan and says: ‘Well, I’m sad now too.’
‘That’s true, but what are you going to tell them when they ask how you get those eggs. There are always others who want to take them away from you.’
‘You must be right. I’m going to eat a sandwich. Shall I also bring some bread for you and the children?’
‘No, honey, it’s very sweet of you, but we find our food in the lake,’ and she lets herself slip back into the lake.
After lunch, she must pack her coat. ‘Come on dear, we have an appointment with the doctor. I am a little worried about you.’
‘I’m not sick, why do I have to go to the doctor. I don’t get a shot, do I?’
Mommy can laugh about it and reassures Noortje, that she doesn’t get a shot’
In the waiting room, she feels a bit nervous about the doctor and she’s a little scared. She doesn’t like him, and she doesn’t know what to answer.
‘Noortje…,’ a woman shouts in the doorway. ‘Are you Noortje? Please come with me. You don’t have to be afraid, it’s not scary and we won’t hurt you,’ the sister says.
Nervous she walks with her to a room. The nurse tells her that the doctor wants to know how long she is and how much she weighs. ‘So, let’s measure and weigh you’
First, she must take off her shoes and then she can stand on the scales. Then she must stand against the wall with her heels against the iron plate. The sister pulls a board down until it rests on her head and notes her findings on a piece of paper. Now they know how much she weighs and how big she is. ‘You do well. Now one more test.’
The Sister puts a strap around her upper arm and tells her that air is first blown into it and then he automatically deflates. Noortje feels that the belt is getting tighter around her arm and just when she wants to say that it hurt a bit, the air runs out again and before she knows the test is done.
‘This is how we measure your blood pressure. You have done very well,’ the sister says again.
Noortje can put on her shoes and the sister tells mama that everything went well.
‘Just come with me, it’s your turn and the doctor is waiting for you.’
The doctor gives mom and Noortje a hand and asks if they want to take a seat.
Mommy and the doctor start a conversation, but Noortje does not understand it and feels a bit nauseous again. Then the doctor asks if she wants to take off her shirt and climb on the examination couch. Noor does what she is asked to do.
‘This is a stethoscope,’ she says. ‘With this, I can listen to your heart and lungs. It feels a bit cold.’
Then the doctor also looks in her ears and throat. She touches her neck and then she also examines her belly. In the meantime, she asks mom if she eats well, sleep, plays and if she poops well. Noortje must laugh a bit at that. POOP. She looks at Noortje and together they laugh a little. The doctor says that she is doing very well and Noortje smiles at her shyly.
‘Well, young lady, you’re as healthy as a fish. I think Noortje should go to school a few mornings in the week. Would you like that Noortje?’
Noortje nods. She thinks everything is fine if she can leave here. When she comes home, she runs to mommy swan and tells her that she may go to school. Mommy swan is very happy for her and with joy she spread her wings and flies with them.
‘How great. You are very smart, and you can already count a little bit. Tell me how many children I have?’
Noortje starts counting. ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 6.’
‘No .., calls mommy swan, first 5 and then 6.’
‘Okay,’ says Noortje and in a distance, she hears Droef barking.
Not much later he jumps up against her. He is so happy to see her again. Together they roll across the lawn. Then Droef grabs his ball and brings it to her. She takes the ball and throws it as far as she can. Droef runs after it and disappears under a bush. Noortje waits, but Droef comes back without the ball and he turns around barking. Eventually, she crawls under the bush to find the ball. To her surprise, she sees the little man with that crazy hat.
‘Hi Noortje, I have heard you go to school. Sometimes I come there too. Nice, we can talk there together, if you want?’
Noortje gets moody and says. ‘No, I don’t want that. I never want to see you there. I’m going to school, not you. You and all the fairy-tale figures must leave me alone. I have never seen you and now go away.’
She grabs the ball and throws it back to Droef.
The End