The Oliebol

(An oliebol is a traditional Dutch dish that they eat on New Year’s Eve.” The oliebol is made of flour, yeast, raisins, and milk and then fried in oil.)

In a small bakery lives a small oliebol and his name is Olivier. Olivier is no ordinary oliebol, no he is very different from his friends. They think he’s stubborn and you know why? Because Olivier doesn’t want to be fried in the oil.

I’ll tell you how that came about:

On the last day of the year, December 31, the baker is busy making his oliebollen. Olivier is also in that mixing bowl among the masses. The baker stirs forcefully in the bowl and Olivier is thrown up and down. Suddenly the baker makes a strange movement and Olivier bounces out of the mixing bowl and rolls over the kitchen against a pile of flour.

“Oops,” grumbles Olivier. Now I’ve had enough, and I don’t want to end up in that hot oil, that seems very bad.

He looks around and sees Flour, Yeast, Milk and Raisins busy. They like to let the baker mix them in the bowl. Together they want to become the tastiest oliebol in the whole country.

Hey, Oliver,’ Flour yells. ‘Where are you going?’

“I…, I…, I don’t want to be fried in oil”, Olivier stutters.

Flour, Yeast, Milk and Raisin look at him in surprise. They think it’s strange, an oliebol that won’t go in the oil.

“Then you’re not an oliebol,” his friend shouted.

“Well, okay, then not. Fine,” he replies.

At the same time, Morris, the baker’s curious cat, enters the kitchen and looks around. Her eyes fall on Olivier, who is still leaning against the mass of flour. Morris carefully sneaks up to Olivier and pushes him away from the flour.

“What are you?” Morris asks, tilting her reddish head.

“I’m a ball of milk, yeast and raisins and I don’t want to get in that awful hot oil.

Oliver tells her his worries about the horrible fate that awaits him.

Morris smiles and says, “Don’t worry little Oliver, I’ll help you.”

Carefully she takes Olivier in her mouth and carries him to her secret place in the kitchen.

There she puts him in her warm blanket where Olivier can nestle under. There he feels safe and happy.

While Flour, Yeast, Milk and Raisin are fried in the oil together, Olivier and Morris enjoy the warmth and cosiness under the blanket.

From his secret hiding place, Olivier has a view of the store and sees that his friends are thrown into a large glass dish after baking. Some even argue a bit because they don’t want to lie in the middle. After all, they want to look outside. The people standing in the bakery look at the bowl with delight and hope that they are not too late to buy such a delicious oliebol.

“Calm down,” the baker shouts. “There’s enough for everyone.”

“Baker, I want 40 of them,” says one woman.

“I only need 5, because I’m alone,” a man shouts.

“And I’d like 15 of them,” says another.

It goes on like this all day and Olivier sees one friend after another disappear out of the ball and leave the store in a large white bag.

This is how Olivier discovers that it is not bad not to be fried in oil and that being different can sometimes be something very special. Finally, he now has a very special friendship with Morris.

Olivier is now an extraordinary oliebol, an oliebol that has not been fried in oil and therefore does not have to worry that others will lay him on a dish to eat him. No, he is not beautiful enough for that in his white ball with a raisin sticking out here and there.

So, you see being different from others, really doesn’t have to be weird. Especially if it’s your own choice and it makes you happy.