How To Tell Someone Speaks English

The Miffy exhibition is a wonderland of colourful giant sized items.

Books, rabbits, cake, candles.

Woo! says Terence A giant cake! And giant candles! And what's that boy doing?

Go and see, says Belle.

Terence goes over to the boy who is pulling down hard on a rope.

Vind je het louk? says the boy.

Yes, says Terence.

Je bent net een kind, says the boy.

Yes, says Terence.

Terence thinks that the boy is offering to give him a turn, but he isn't.

Terence waits for his turn. How well Terence is behaving.

The boy keeps on pulling the rope

Two little girls come up.

Die is goed! says Lotte.

Ja, says Lieke.

Lotte looks at Terence.

Vind je het louk? asks Lotte.

No! says Terence.

Nee! giggles Lotte.

Terence grabs the rope from the boy, whose name is Liam.

Doei! says Liam, and runs away.

Terence yanks the rope as hard as his little cement arms will yank it.

Clong!

Down comes a giant cardboard Miffy, on top of the two little girls.

Bumhole! says Terence.

You speak English! says Lotte. Me too.

Me too, says Lieke. Mijn vader is English. Oh, I hope you won't get into trouble.

I won't, says Terence.

But you have broken the big Miffy, says Lieke. You should pull the rope gently. It makes her wave her arm. See?

Lieke pulls the rope.

But ( bumhole!) it doesn't work now.

Lieke and Lotte drag Terence over to the giant birthday cake, so he won't get into trouble.

It's Miffy's birthday, says Lotte. She's six.

Six O, says Terence. That means she's sixty. It's maths.

She's only a little girl rabbit, says Lieke. She's six.

She isn't, says Terence. How old do you think I am?

Six, says Lotte.

Four, says Lieke.

Wrong, says Terence. Two thousand and six.

Lotte and Lieke don't believe him.

Nor should we. Terence has forgotten that the Image is not the same as the Subject.

As with big Miffy, thank goodness.

Arne and Belle are standing nearby, observing.

Terence is getting on well with those two little Dutch girls, says Belle.

Yes, says Arne. That is pleasant. It's funny you know, Terence reminds me of someone.

A cherub? says Belle.

A sort of a cherub, says Arne. More like Baby-Jesus.

You got it! says Belle. That's what he is. My friend Sweezie found him in Barcelona. Terence fell off the Sagrada Famiglia, right in front of him.

Sweezie, says Arne. Do you mean Sweezus?

Yes, says Belle, But I call him Sweezie.

THE Sweezus? says Arne.

Yes, says Belle. Why? Is he famous over here?

Captain of Team Condor, says Arne. It's so cool, that you know him.

You can meet him, says Belle. I think he's arriving today.

Super, says Arne. I love the Tour de France. Everyone here is crazy for cycling.

As if to prove him correct, a bunch of young people in rabbit costumes scoot in and start singing: La Tour De France...la la la la......

All the children gather round and start clapping. Terence included.

Someone has picked up the Miffy, re-hung her, and mended the rope.

Die es goed!

Afterwards, if they want, they can go to the museum café to drink warme chocolademelk and eat Miffy bread rolls.