70 pages 2 hours read

Morris Gleitzman

Once

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005

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Chapters 11-14 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 11 Summary

Felix surprises Barney as he ascends the cellar stairs in the middle of the night. He says he needs to come up with him. Upstairs in the cellar are printing presses the Jewish community used to print books before the Nazis took over. Felix tells Barney that he needs to find his parents because he has a rare illness. Barney does not buy Felix’s lie. However, instead of sending Felix downstairs, Barney asks for his help.

Because they are violating the Ghetto’s curfew, they must be careful: If they are caught by soldiers, they will be executed on the spot. Barney explains that they will be fine because of what he carries in his bag. Barney tells Felix that he may not be able to find his parents. Felix thinks that he is wrong but says nothing. He asks if all Jews brought to the city are sent to this ghetto. Barney does not reply.

In a crowded apartment, Felix watches Barney unpack his bag in front of a man groaning on a bed. Felix realizes that Barney is a dentist. Barney orders him to tell the patient a story to distract him from the pain. The next patient they visit is a Nazi officer.