SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 1942

I’ll begin from the moment I got you, the moment I saw you lying on the table among my other birthday
presents. (I went along when you were bought, but that doesn’t count.)
On Friday, June 12, I was awake at six o’clock, which isn’t surprising, since it was my birthday. But
I’m not allowed to get up at that hour, so I had to control my curiosity until quarter to seven. When I
couldn’t wait any longer, I went to the dining room, where Moortje (the cat) welcomed me by rubbing
against my legs.
A little after seven I went to Daddy and Mama and then to the living room to open my presents, and you
were the first thing I saw, maybe one of my nicest presents. Then a bouquet of roses, some peonies and a
potted plant. From Daddy and Mama I got a blue blouse, a game, a bottle of grape juice, which to my
mind tastes a bit like wine (after all, wine is made from grapes), a puzzle, a jar of cold cream, 2.50
guilders and a gift certificate for two books. I got another book as well, Camera Obscura (but Margot
already has it, so I exchanged mine for something else), a platter of homemade cookies (which I made
myself, of course, since I’ve become quite an expert at baking cookies), lots of candy and a strawberry
tart from Mother. And a letter from Grammy, right on time, but of course that was just a coincidence.
Then Hanneli came to pick me up, and we went to school. During recess I passed out cookies to my
teachers and my class, and then it was time to get back to work. I didn’t arrive home until five, since I
went to gym with the rest of the class. (I’m not allowed to take part because my shoulders and hips tend to
get dislocated.) As it was my birthday, I got to decide which game my classmates would play, and I chose
volleyball. Afterward they all danced around me in a circle and sang “Happy Birthday.” When I got home,
Sanne Ledermann was already there. Ilse Wagner, Hanneli Goslar and Jacqueline van Maarsen came
home with me after gym, since we’re in the same class. Hanneli and Sanne used to be my two best friends.
People who saw us together used to say, “There goes Anne, Hanne and Sanne.” I only met Jacqueline van
Maarsen when I started at the Jewish Lyceum, and now she’s my best friend. Ilse is Hanneli’s best friend,
and Sanne goes to another school and has friends there.
They gave me a beautiful book, Dutch Sasas and Lesends, but they gave me Volume II by mistake, so I
exchanged two other books for Volume I. Aunt Helene brought me a puzzle, Aunt Stephanie a darling
brooch and Aunt Leny a terrific book: Daisy Goes to the Mountains.
This morning I lay in the bathtub thinking how wonderful it would be if I had a dog like Rin Tin Tin. I’d
call him Rin Tin Tin too, and I’d take him to school with me, where he could stay in the janitor’s room or
by the bicycle racks when the weather was good.