The problem is that Ellen and other Jews need to get out of the country away from the Germans. The solution is that Uncle Henrik is going to smuggle them out.
Annemarie is staying on Uncle Henrick’s farm. Annemarie is glad that Henrik has a cow, so he has milk, cream and butter. Her mother says that even Henrik doesn’t usually have butter, because it is requisitioned by German soldiers. While Henrik is out, Mama cleans his house and Ellen and Annemarie play outside and pick flowers.
Uncle Henrik comes back and tells Mama, "Tomorrow will be a day for fishing," which means that he will be able to get Ellen out.
Annemarie was puzzled by the references to fishing and weather at first. Fisherman did not wait for sunny days, she knew.
Mama looked at him. "The weather is right?" she asked.
Henrik nodded and looked at the sky. He smelled the air. "I will be going back to the boat tonight after supper. We will leave very early in the morning. I will stay on the boat all night." (Ch. 8)
Henrik tells Annemarie that Great-aunt Birte died and "it is a sad event, but not too sad, really, because she was very, very old.” It is the custom to put the coffin in the house and have people come sit with the family. This is good cover, because the German soldiers will not bother them.
Annemarie confronts Henrik about lying to her about this “death.” He asks her if she is brave. She tells him she isn’t, and he says she is brave.
"But," he added, "it is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything. And so your mama does not know everything. Neither do I. We know only what we need to know.” (Ch. 9)
When Ellen tells Annemarie’s mother she is sorry Birte died, Annemarie says nothing and feels bad that she is lying to Ellen.
The soldiers do not look in the coffin because Annemarie’s mother tells them Birte died of a contagious disease called typhus. Inside the coffin, there is no woman. It is clothing and blankets for the Jews who are escaping Denmark.
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