48 pages • 1-hour read
The Winged Watchman
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Chapters 8-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Uncle Cor”
On Saturday evening, the Verhagens talk about Charles’s escape. Suddenly, they hear knocking and answer the door to find Uncle Cor, who reveals that he has gone into hiding, a tactic referred to as “diving under.” Because Cor works for the Underground, Joris asks if his uncle knows Kees Kip. Cor says that he does but also downplays the man’s heroics. Cor then explains that he hides underdivers and sneaks Allied soldiers and pilots over the border. Excited, the boys tell him about Charles, and Cor immediately starts scheming ways to get the pilot to safety. He and the boys plan take a boat to the Giant; while Dirk Jan and Cor row the pilot home, Joris will remove all evidence of the pilot’s presence from the windmill.
They quickly head to the Giant and usher Charles out. Joris cleans up the area as planned, and later, when he is heading home, he hears Leendert shouting at him and sprints away with the landwatcher in pursuit. At the Watchman, Joris jumps onto a wing. As it goes around, Joris adjusts his position so that he will not fall. When the wing descends again, Leendert is on the other side of the mill. Joris drops to the ground and flattens himself against the building before rushing inside to alert everyone. He then sneaks upstairs and changes while his mother dries his hair. He jumps into bed with Dirk Jan. By the time Leendert arrives, all is quiet inside. When the landwatcher claims that he has been chasing one of the boys, Father argues that they are both sleeping. Leendert sees them in bed and curses. Once he runs off, Joris tells his parents what happened.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Tilly”
On Sunday, Joris wakes to the sound of church bells and the smell of food. Downstairs, he happily washes with soap from Charles. Cor explains that Charles will dress as a woman and go to church that morning, as no one will expect an escaped aviator to be there. Cor and Charles will pose as their distant cousins Kloris and Tilly. Then, they will hitch a ride to the city of Leyden, where the Underground will take over.
Cor dons a mustache and horn-rimmed glasses, while Charles wears makeup, a dress, and a kerchief. Warning Charles not to talk, Cor leads him into church. People are curious about them but keep their distance, but Joris starts to worry when he spots Leendert. Father Kobus’s sermon features the story of the Good Samaritan, and he stresses that parishioners can help their neighbors. After the service, Leendert flirts with “Tilly” and offers a ride to Leyden. Father, Dirk Jan, and Joris watch anxiously as the disguised Cor and Charles ride off with the oblivious Leendert.
Chapter 10 Summary: “The Red Tag”
The Underground can send coded messages via the windmills, the wings of which are fixed in different positions to convey various ideas. Uncle Cor sends a windmill message of his and Charles’s safe arrival by placing the wings of the windmill in the position of an upright cross leaning to the right, which indicates “joy.”
The next day becomes known as “Mad Tuesday,” as everyone, including the Germans, believe that the war is over; however, the news is false, so the Germans return. After school, Dirk Jan conspires with friends to watch Leendert closely. Meanwhile, Joris learns that the Germans have ordered all citizens to present their dogs. Any dogs that are useful to the army will be seized, while others will receive a red tag. Any dogs without a red tag will be shot on sight. Hearing this, Joris worries about Freya’s safety, and he stumbles into the church to pray. When he complains about how God allows the Germans to do terrible things, Father Kobus suggests that the Germans should be given the chance to repent, as everyone has evil inside and must work to overcome it. Then, Father Kobus promises to pray for Freya.
When Dirk Jan and his friends learn the news, one of his friends, Engel de Vries, offers to let the Verhagens take their old dog, Flip, and get a red tag, which they can then place on Freya. On Saturday, Dirk Jan reports with Flip and watches as other people lose their beloved pets. Then, he spots Leendert, who proudly offers up his brother’s dog, Nero. When it is Dirk Jan’s turn, the vet puts a red tag on Flip, but Leendert insists that this is not Dirk Jan’s dog. Irritated, the German vet demands that Leendert leave. Once the boys are safely home, they affix the crucial red tag to Freya’s collar to keep her safe from the Germans.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Koba and Betsy”
On September 17, 1944, Dutch rail workers go on strike. Although this act hampers the German war effort, it also makes food scarce in cities, and many people new face starvation. Additionally, the fighting causes many to flee their homes, but the Verhagens are more fortunate because they can fish and grow vegetables. Soon, all Dutch men between the ages of 16 and 50, who are not essential laborers, are required to work for the Germans. As a result, many hide. Mr. Verhagen is exempt because his role is essential, and Dirk Jan is too young, so both are allowed to remain at home.
One day, Dirk Jan sees Leendert looking through the birth register at the town hall. He tells Mother about this, and she suspects that Leendert is looking into Trixie, on the suspicion that the girl is not truly Mother’s child.
Later, Uncle Cor asks if two girls, Koba and Betsy, can live with the Verhagens because their parents are in hiding; Mother agrees and tells him about Trixie. Cor obtains a false birth certificate for Trixie from Leyden; this paperwork arrives with the girls. Koba and Betsy soon acclimate to the family’s daily life and chatter about the expected visit from St. Nicholas.
People regularly beg for food, and the Verhagens help whenever they can. One day, Leendert asks about the girls, pointing out that Trixie’s birth is not registered. When Mother hands him the fake birth certificate, he is disappointed but asks about Koba and Betsy. Irate, she growls that they are nieces from the city who moved here so that they would not starve. Her anger is so palpable that Leendert leaves. Joris expresses shock at Mother’s willingness to lie. Mother explains that lying is a moral act when it saves someone’s life.
Chapter 12 Summary: “St. Nicholas”
As St. Nicholas Day approaches, Dirk Jan and Joris explain why St. Nicholas may not visit, but Koba and Betsy are adamant that he will. Despite the difficult circumstances of their war-torn world, Mother recycles materials to fashion dolls for the girls and knit mittens for the boys in honor of the holiday. The children are delighted, but the girls still expect St. Nicholas to magically appear. As night falls, they shriek that he is coming.
When St. Nicholas and Pieterbaas, his servant, step inside, the girls are suddenly shy. However, Trixie steps forward and sings a song. Then, when St. Nicholas encourages Koba and Betsy to sing, they share the only tune they know: the forbidden national anthem. St. Nicholas thanks them, and Pieterbaas distributes chocolate bars. When the girls go to bed, “St. Nicholas” (who is really Uncle Cor), takes off his costume while “Pieterbaas” (Reina) “washe[s] [her] face at the sink” (108). Cor confesses that they recently escaped a German raid of an Underground meeting. He and Reina slipped away and joined a party where the guests supplied them with the two costumes. Then, they walked outside, to the delight of the soldiers. They even hitched a ride with the Germans to travel out of Leyden, and the unsuspecting Germans filled “Pieterbaas’s” bag with chocolates. Cor and Reina plan to stay a while, but Cor asks Dirk Jan to deliver a message for him.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Dirk Jan’s Mission”
Cor outlines Dirk Jan’s task, which is to deliver a message to an Underground member named Gerardus van Manen in Leyden about the need to change a weapons-drop rendezvous from Leyden to the city of Saterwoude. First, Dirk Jan must relay a memorized message. Once van Manen responds, Dirk Jan must go to the corn mill and provide the Underground’s password to the miller so that his assistant, van Loo, can position the sails of the windmill and convey the appropriate coded message. Then, the next windmill within eyeshot, the Hoogmade mill, will be able to relay the message for Cor to see it. Because the message is only visible in daylight, Dirk Jan must accomplish all of this before sundown.
The next morning, Dirk Jan excitedly leaves in the dark. When displaced, starving people emerge from hiding to forage for food, he is shocked and angry to behold their suffering. He helps a starving boy with a nosebleed and gives him bread and milk. Then, he pushes the boy in a cart, taking him all the way to Leyden, where someone can help him. Near the city, landwatchers confiscate food, but Dirk Jan pretends that he is rushing his injured brother home. Soon, they arrive, and Mrs. van Manen cares for the boy while Dirk Jan tells his tale. When Mr. van Manen appears, Dirk Jan shares Uncle Cor’s message. The man leaves to consult with others and does not return until three o’clock. Dirk Jan races to the mill.
Chapter 14 Summary: “The Falcon”
German soldiers are guarding the Falcon, the windmill that will send the message. Thinking fast, Dirk Jan pretends to be a farmer’s son and claims that he is delivering a chicken. The soldiers take his satchel and escort him inside. He says that he is Hendrik Schenderhans from Saterwoude. After making a phone call, the sergeant returns the satchel and allows Dirk Jan to see the miller. When Dirk Jan learns that the assistant, van Loo, is not there, he asks to take in the view from the top of the windmill. Dirk Jan intends to wind the mill himself because it is now getting late. On the way, he encounters German soldiers lounging on the stairs. They trip him but then offer him a cigarette.
With the sun setting, Dirk Jan labors to move the sails but cannot manage it. Luckily, van Loo finally arrives, and together, they set the wings to signal “yes.” Then, they anxiously watch as the Hoogmade mill wings finally glide into the same position. As Dirk Jan descends past the soldiers, he marvels that he just sent a message right under their noses.
Chapters 8-14 Analysis
The daring exploits described in these chapters detail The Importance of Making Ethical Choices, and Uncle Cor’s actions as part of the Underground often provide a primer—a code of behavior for the boys to emulate. As the Verhagens discuss how to retrieve Charles, for example, Cor outlines the dangers, highlighting the importance of stealth and explaining that if they are caught, the punishment may be less for Joris because he is “only a child” (69). In this way, the Underground’s various forms of resistance often make use of Children’s Ability to Enact Change, as Joris and Dirk Jan often risk their lives to save others because they recognize that it is the right thing to do.
Later, Father Kobus’s sermon on the Good Samaritan extols this same form of courage. As he tells his congregation, “‘It is upon what we do to our neighbor that we shall be judged, a solemn thought. Now let us pray that we may receive strength to do the loving thing in these perilous times” (80). The priest highlights the fortitude and courage needed to do the right and moral thing—loving and helping others—even during the war. His words imply that doing the right thing can be challenging when the simple act of being kind to neighbors requires breaking laws, resisting authority, and risking harsh punishment. Additionally, his contention that even the Germans should be given “the chance to be sorry, to save their souls” (86), shows his belief that redemption is possible for all people, even those who habitually engage in immoral acts. In this way, van Stockum creates a more nuanced portrayal of the challenges of the war and refrains from creating an oversimplified world populated only by clear-cut heroes and villains.
Along with their faith, characters rely on their ingenuity to endure difficult circumstances, actively using Creativity as a Survival Tactic. Notably, Uncle Cor’s plan to disguise Charles as a woman in order to smuggle him out of town emphasizes the importance of being clever in order to evade the existing network of power and work against German authority. Dressing Charles as a woman and escorting him to church among everyone is risky but smart, and Cor acknowledges this when he states, “‘Everything is dangerous […] No one would believe that an escaped aviator would go to church; that’s why it’s our best bet” (77). By acknowledging that any action poses a risk, Cor emphasizes the importance of taking calculated risks that have a better chance of succeeding; he knows that the best plan is a bold one since no one would anticipate an escaped pilot hiding in plain sight. This ingenuity is taken one step further when the pair accepts a ride from an unsuspecting Leendert, who is taken in by Charles’s disguise and unwittingly flirts with him. Likewise, the Dutch Underground’s covert communication via “windmills [that] have always had their own language” exemplifies its widespread resourcefulness (82). As the Underground cleverly sends messages in plain sight of the Germans, the actions of individuals and organizations alike show that Dutch citizens engage in many devious plots to resist their oppressors and survive the occupation.
As young people like Reina and Dirk Jan take part in these covert activities and play vital roles in Uncle Cor’s resistance plans, their brave contributions help fuel the resistance and highlight children’s ability to enact change. Their role in the war is highlighted on St. Nicholas Day, as when the Underground meeting is about to be raided, “Reina c[omes] to warn [them] ahead of time, which g[ives] [them] just the chance [they] need[]” to escape (108). Her courage to run ahead of the German soldiers saves many lives. Additionally, when Cor notes that he and Reina need to lie low because of the raid, he asks Dirk Jan to deliver a vital message for the Underground movement. The fact that he requests this of a child, not Father or Mother, highlights the reality that all citizens, not just adults, are actively rebelling against the Germans. Dirk Jan takes great pride in his responsibility, and when he delivers the message about the change in location for the weapons drop, “he walk[s] straight, in spite of the weight of the satchel, and breathe[s] deeply” because “[t]his is what he had wanted for so long, to be doing something” (113). Even though he is only 14, he longs to free Holland from the Germans, and his job as a courier shows that children played vital roles in the Underground.
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