Anna All Year Round by Mary Downing Hahn, Diane de Groat Page A

letters look strange. Others have funny marks over them.
    Anna groans and closes the book. German children must be smarter than American children, she thinks, or they'd never learn to talk or read.
    When Father comes home from his job at the newspaper, he finds Anna asleep in his chair, Mother's German book in her lap.
    Anna opens her eyes and gives Father a hug and a kiss. Father picks up Mother's book and glances at the pages. "I didn't know you could read German," he says.
    Anna sighs. "That's just the trouble, Father. I can't! I was trying to teach myself, but it's too hard. Why can't German be as easy as English? Why do all the words have to be so long and fancified?"
    Father smiles. "I imagine that's exactly what German children say about English."
    Anna loves Father too much to argue but she's certain he's wrong. Anyone can see English is much easier than German.
    Father strokes Anna's long brown hair. "Won't Mother help you?"
    Anna shakes her head. "All Mother has taught me is '
Gesundheit
which you say when someone sneezes, and
'Auf Wiedersehen,'
which means 'good-bye.' I also know
'bitte,'
which means 'please,' and
'danke,'
which means 'thank you.'"
    "Those are all good words," Father says. "Why do you want to know more?"
    Anna picks up her doll and smoothes its wrinkled dress. "When Aunt May visits, she and Mother talk in German to keep me from learning their secrets."
    Father chuckles, and Anna lays down her doll and stares at him. "Will you teach me German?"
    Father laughs. "I don't know any more German than you do. Your mother's parents were born in Germany, but my mother and father were born right here in Baltimore. So were my grandparents. As far as I know, no one in my family has ever spoken anything but English."
    Anna rests her head on Father's shoulder. "I guess Mother doesn't want you to learn her secrets either."
    Father smiles. "I never thought of that, Anna."
    ***
    That night, Father reads a chapter of
The Swiss Family Robinson
to Anna. Mother sits nearby, hemming a new shirt for Father. Her needle flashes swiftly in and out of the cloth, making tiny stitches. It's a quiet, peaceful time. The fall evening has wrapped its soft arms around the houses on Warwick Avenue, hushing everything.
    Father catches Anna yawning. "Time for bed," he says. Leaning close, he whispers something in her ear.
    Anna walks to Mother and gives her a good-night kiss. "
Gute Nacht, Mutter
" she says, carefully repeating what Father has just told her.
    Mother stares at Anna in surprise. "
Sprichst du Deutsch, Anna?
" she asks. "Can you speak German now?"
    Anna glances at Father and giggles. "Father taught
me.
'Gute Nacht, Mutter'
means 'good night, Mother.'"
    Mother turns to Father. "Ira, when did you learn German?"
    Father laughs. "Oh, I've picked up a few words here and there, but don't worry, Lizzie. Your secrets are safe."
    Mother smiles and draws Anna close to whisper in her ear. Anna goes to Father. "
Gute Nacht, Mutter,
" she says, repeating what Mother has just told her.
    Father winks at Mother. "
Gute Nacht, Tochter,
" he says, kissing Anna good night.
    Anna leaves Mother and Father in the parlor and goes upstairs to her room. The moon shines through the skylight over her bed. Anna wonders how to say "moon" in German.
    Maybe she'll ask Mother tomorrow. Like Father, she'll pick up a few words here and there. Then one day, when no one expects it, she'll join the secret conversation. Won't that surprise her mother and her aunts?

2. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
    THE HOUSES ON ANNA'S STREET MARCH DOWNHILL IN neat rows as far as you can see. Each one has three white marble steps in front, a double window downstairs, and three windows upstairs. Inside, they are just the same. All have three rooms on each floor, plus a bathroom and a pantry. The backyards are long and narrow and separated from each other by tall white fences.
    Many children live on Anna's street, but only five are Anna's age. Rosa Schuman lives two doors up, on