Exciting stories and fairy tales for adults and children E-Book

Heide Kupfer

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1169

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A series of exciting stories, modern and magical fairy tales are waiting to be discovered! Do you really get squinty eyes just from sitting in front of the screen? That's exactly what happens to Kurt as he spends more and more time using the PC and TV. Is there anything that can be done to reverse the process? A lot is changing at Morgenstern Stud Farm when a young woman is suddenly hired. Not only does she know how to handle horses, but she is also great with accounting. She also turns the hearts of the employees upside down. What is the name of the beautiful king's daughter? If someone doesn't find out soon, the kingdom is in for a big disaster. But more and more brave heroes fail in this endeavor and turn to stone...

Leseprobe

The Island Princess

Sonja Mertens lives with her parents Greta and Jens in a small village in Austria at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser. Her mother works as a saleswoman in the flower shop of the Sölder nursery and her father is a foreman at the Bindler sawmill. Her parents hoped with all their hearts that Sonja would attend high school in Kufstein and then study. She should not have it as hard as her parents! She should not have to think twice about every euro before she spends it. But her school performance unfortunately did not allow her mother Greta and father Jens's wish to come true. It would have been easy for Sonja to make the switch to high school, but she did not want to make the switch and if her grades had been really good, her parents would not have understood why Sonja refused to go to high school, so she really let school slide in the 4th and 5th grades. After that, to the amazement of her parents and her teacher, her school performance quickly improved again. After the 8th grade, she decided to transfer to secondary school and now has one more school year to complete her secondary school leaving certificate. She will then be 18 years old and will be able to pursue her career goals without her parents' consent.

In her free time, she spends most of her time doing sports. She wants to train as a lifeguard and is thinking about taking a diving course and getting her diving license. It's too cramped here in the village, so Sonja is planning to move to Lake Aachen when she's 18 at the latest. She could put her plans into practice there. But she has no idea how she can explain this to her parents.

Something draws her to the water with incredible force. She also loves the local mountains where she lives. When she stands on a peak and lets her gaze wander, she is happy. She sees and feels her home from the bottom of her heart and full of happiness. The wonderful world of the mountains, which shows itself to her in every flower and every animal outside, makes her happy. Sonja would not want to miss the mentality of the people here, their readiness to help each other. And despite everything, there is still the longing for water, to be able to move in and on the water! And at Aachensee she would not have to do without either: there is the large lake, which is embedded in the giant mountains, and it is not that far from home. But all of this will only be ready to be discussed when she has successfully finished school in a year. She will put off a discussion about her plans for another year. There would be no point in confronting her parents with her wishes and plans now! Then they would probably just spend a whole year trying to talk her out of it all. So she will continue to swim in the Inn and dive into the river with her diving goggles and snorkel. One more year!!! Sonja packs her bathing suit and walks the few steps down to the river, which has a lot of water at this time of year and is quite fast-flowing. She already has her bathing suit on and in no time she is in the fast-flowing Inn and has to summon all her strength not to be swept away. But that is exactly what she enjoys so much: testing her strength against the river!

At 6 p.m. the parents finish work and a few minutes later Greta is home. Her father has a somewhat longer journey home. But he is also home by 6.30 p.m. And Sonja always arranges to be home at about the same time as her parents. "What's new?" asks her mother and Sonja remembers that the postman brought a telegram. "And what does the telegram say?" asks Greta. "No idea! It's addressed to Dad. I'll be careful notto open it!" replies the daughter. Her mother takes the telegram from the table and opens it. "Father has died. The funeral is on Thursday at 3 p.m. The boat only leaves at 8.30 a.m. Holger." Just as her mother has finished reading, Jens arrives. "Anything important?" he asks. "Your father has died. We are supposed to come to the funeral on Thursday at 3 p.m.," his wife replies and hands him the letter. "Not a word for 30 years! And now this. What are we going to do?" Jens Mertens murmurs quietly to himself. "Who is Holger and why do we have to go on a boat?" asks Sonja. Deep in thought, the father says to his daughter: "Holger is my brother and they live on an island in the North Sea. "Are we going?" asks Sonja. "Sure," says the mother quietly. "Now you haven't even been able to talk to your father, Jens. But you have to accompany him on his final journey. Then you can at least make peace with him in your thoughts. And you have to speak frankly with Holger. It's really about time!" "Sure, you're right. But..." "No buts, Jens. You talk to your brother. We'll see what comes of it!" Greta wants to finally put an end to the discord with her husband's family. "What was it actually about? It must have been something big if it's been going on for 30 years!" Father Jens looks at his daughter. "Yes. It was about something bigger! We lived on a Hallig, which is an island far out in the sea. It is very lonely there. Usually 4-5 families live on a Hallig, depending on how big the island is. We lived on our island alone. That wasn't easy! Our family had to do everything on their own. Mother and Gudrun, Holger's wife, tended the large vegetable garden, because we had to provide ourselves with everything we needed to live. They processed the harvest, kept the house and yard in order and looked after the livestock. Father, Holger and I were the fishermen and the farmers. We worked in the fields from sowing to harvesting the crops. We also had to keep the dams in order and the buildings weatherproof. Holger was the older one, 14 years older than me. But I was expected to do the same work. Often I couldn't keep up. I didn't have the strength to do much and I was simply too young. Then they always said: Holger can do it too! One day a violent storm was approaching. I had just turned 19. Father sent me to the dam alone. I had never worked on the dam before. He had to make the stable and the barn weatherproof. Holger piled sandbags around the house. Then the storm came! But it was not a simple storm, it was a hurricane. I was still on the dam! I couldn't go home in this weather, so I stayed on the top of the dam and weighed myself down with sandbags. Otherwise the stormy wind could have blown me off the dam - maybe into the sea! That would have been possible! But it worked out well! I survived the hurricane. But the dam broke! It was undermined in one place and collapsed there. The water from the North Sea was able to penetrate uncontrollably into our lower island. It destroyed the fields, flooded the barn, as well as the stable and the house. We lost 3 animals. When I came home after the hurricane had abated and there was only a storm , my father and Holger beat me up and if my mother hadn't intervened, they would probably have killed me. Gudrun left the Hallig after the storm and never came back. My father and brother blamed me for the whole disaster. - When I could walk again, I left the Hallig. I told my mother that I was going to moor the boat on the island of Juist, which is the nearest large island, and that I wouldn't be coming back. - Yes. That's how it was - 30 years ago." Jens is still holding the telegram in his hand. Now he just drops it. Sonja picks it up and puts it on the table. "Now I understand that you never wanted to go to the sea! But also that you never talked about your family! How could your father saddle you, a young person, with such responsibility and then blame you for everything?" "Sonja, life on a Hallig is very lonely. That can sometimes be unfair. It is better if several families live on such an island. Then the tasks and responsibilities are distributed. Then you also have the opportunity to talk to others." "Does your brother still live on this Hallig?" Sonja wants to know, but her father cannot answer the question. He does not know. "In any case, we are taking the ship that goes to the larger island in front of our Hallig. We are leaving the day after tomorrow, on Tuesday. Then we will definitely be on the island and on the Hallig in time. Tomorrow we have to apply for vacation and you, Sonja, will also give yourself time off for the rest of the week."

While Jens explains to his daughter what happened 30 years ago on the Mertens Hallig, Greta prepares dinner. Sonja, Greta and Jens sit down at the table in silence and eat their sandwiches in silence. After dinner, Sonja retreats to her room. She has to let her father's story sink in. She cannot understand how a father can burden his 19-year-old son with such a great responsibility by securing such an important dam, and then blame him for the misfortune that befell the family. Her own plans for the future suddenly seem unimportant to her when she compares them with the task her father had to face. But eventually she falls asleep.

The next morning, Sonja explains to her teacher at school that she has to ask for time off for the rest of the week because she wants to attend her grandfather's funeral on his Hallig. The teacher grants her the exemption from class and writes the reason in the class register. The day passes slowly and in the evening the Mertenses pack their suitcases and Sonja puts the things she needsin her travel bag. At 8 a.m. the next morning they set off in their VW and expect to reach Norddeich-Mole between 4 and 5 p.m. There they plan to park their car in a guarded car park and sleep in a hotel for the night. On Thursday morning at 8.30 a.m. the ferry leaves and takes them to the island of Norderney. Holger will probably be waiting for them there and take his boat to Mertens-Hallig.

The trip goes without incident and they spend the evening and night in a simple hotel in Norddeich-Mole. Then it is only a few steps to the ferry, which sets sail on time, and 2 hours later Sonja, Greta and Jens leave the ship on Norderney and hope that they will be picked up. And sure enough: a man of about 60 is standing on the jetty where the ferry from Norddeich-Mole has arrived. Jens and Holger look into each other's eyes and nod to each other. There is no other greeting. The family follows Holger without saying a word or greeting. He takes them to a cutter and asks them to board. The engine is started and the boat sets off quickly. But it does not go in the direction of the Mertens' Hallig, but rather to the island of Juist. Holger explains briefly that his father has left the Hallig and they have moved to Juist. They bought 2 horse-drawn carriages and 2 covered wagons with the money that the Hallig brought in. Since then, they have earned their living by offering covered wagon rides or doing business trips with the carriages. They also have a permit for coastal fishing.

At the port of Juist, Holger moors his cutter and tells his brother's family to go to a covered wagon that is waiting in a small paddock at the foot of the dam. He drives to the end of the town of Juist and turns into the courtyard of a small cottage. "We're here. We live here." The door is unlocked. He lets hisbrother's family in and shows them a small room with two beds and a sofa. There is also a table, four chairs and a homemade cupboard. Holger quickly leaves the apartment and goes into the courtyard to unharness the horses and take them to the small fenced pasture. Jens looks at the two women and says quietly: "They don't seem to be doing very well. If I want to talk to him straight, I can do that now. Then at least we all know where we stand." Sonja and Greta nod. Their expressions are quite depressed.

Jens goes across the yard to the stable and meets his brother, who is crouched on the ground as if lost. "Holger, I think we should talk!" Jens begins. Holger looks up at his brother. "Do you really want that?" he asks. To which Jens replies: "I think 30 years is enough!" "Really enough," says Holger and nods. "Did you rebuild the Hallig? What happened to your wife? Did she come back?" "It was pointless to repair the Hallig. How could we do it? We had no building materials and we no longer had the courage or strength. Whenever father thought of you, he would say: 'What have we done! What have we done'! It wasn't your fault! Nobody was! That's just how it is on the North Sea. It's not for nothing that they say: North Sea equals Murder Sea! After all, it was the hurricane that destroyed everything. We had to be happy that you were still alive. And in blind rage and desperation we didn't know what to do but hit you. If mother hadn't intervened, I'm sure we would have killed you! When we could finally think clearly again and after we had examined all the damage, we packed our belongings into the cutter and headed for Juist. We weren't welcome! Who would want to have starving people like us around? The mayor assigned us this cottage and made it clear to us that we would have to look after ourselves.We couldn't expect anything from him. Father asked if we could offer covered wagon rides and if we could continue fishing on the coast. Because we had to do something to make a living and because we shouldn't live at the expense of others, he allowed us to do that. After we had sold everything we had brought with us from our island, we were able to buy a covered wagon and 2 draft horses. And then mother died. That night and its aftermath broke her! Six years ago we had saved enough to buy a couple of horses and a covered wagon. From then on things slowly started to improve. We built a smokehouse and sell our catch as smoked goods to tourists. The local hotels also buy particularly valuable fish from us at reasonable prices. I don't know what will happen now that father is dead! I can only drive a wagon or I can fish. I have to see if I can survive at all like this. No. Gudrun didn't come back. Now you know what happened to us. We paid dearly for what we did to you. I wanted to ask you for forgiveness so many times, and so did father. But we were too ashamed of what we had done. You were innocent of all the misfortune that befell us. Will you ever be able to forgive me and father? Will you ever be my brother again?" The despair is clear in Holger's eyes. Jens holds out his hand to him and says: "Enough is enough! You have suffered for too long because of your mistake. And father too! I can no longer shake his hand, but I can assure him of my forgiveness at his grave! I bear you no grudges. Let's try together to make things better now. And now we should probably go to the others and dress up to pay our last respects to father." Jens puts his arm on the shoulder of his deeply bowed brother. Greta sees this with a smile and says encouragingly to her brother-in-law: "Now a new time begins. You brothers are brothers again!" Sonja cannot get used to the idea that her father can so easily put the injustice of that time behind him. She does not know that it was by no means easy for him to shake his brother's hand. But, as he said to Holger: Enough is enough!

They are alone with the priest and the dead father in the cemetery. And the priest keeps the ceremony very short. With a few half-hearted words he gives his blessing, offers his condolences to the family and immediately says goodbye. At his father's grave, Jens repeats the words: "Enough is enough! I want you to be able to find peace. I forgive you for the injustice you have done to me. Go your way in peace. I will offer you my hand when we see each other again!" Greta places the flowers she has brought with her on the grave and she also says: "Go your way in peace!" Sonja turns away in silence. Jens leads his family and brother to a restaurant and wishes everyone bon appetit. For the three days that the family will spend on the island, the father of the family books rooms in the hotel that belongs to the restaurant. And he asks his brother to stay with them in the hotel for the few days. Surprised, Holger accepts the invitation.

In the afternoon, everyone goes for a walk to the North Sea beach together. They walk up the paved path to the crest of the dune and let the beach grass that covers all the dunes here slide gently through their fingers. On the back, the dune slopes down to the beach, where the wide sandy beach joins, which ends at the North Sea. The holidaymakers take off their shoes and socks and walk along the edge of the sea. Jens tells his brother what he has been up to over the past 30 years, about his work in the sawmill, about Greta's work in the flower shop and about the lost dream that their daughter would one day study. And with every word that is spoken, the brothers grow closer again. Jens enjoys the salty sea air,the clear view to the horizon, the sand under his feet, the rough calls of the seagulls and the constant wind. Had he forgotten all of this? Or did he not want to remember it because it would always remind him of that night, the hurricane and its consequences 30 years ago?

Sonja has rolled up her trousers and is walking into the North Sea until the water is above her knees. It doesn't bother her that the waves are splashing her. But a thought is stuck in her head: Wouldn't it be possible to live here? To work here, on the beach? She could work as a lifeguard, offer diving courses, hold surfing courses. You would have to do a lot of research! But she only has two days. Perhaps she can persuade the family to come here for the holidays. Now that her father has reconciled with his brother. That would also help them to get together. She really has to talk to her parents about this! Her father seems to be getting used to the North Sea here, he looks so happy. Greta has noticed that too. Jens sinks into the warm sand and his wife and brother follow suit. Sonja runs to the kiosk and gets four cups of ice cream and gives each of them a portion. After a while, after the ice cream has been eaten, Jens asks his brother what the chances are of finding a job here on the coast. Sonja is immediately interested. Should father perhaps... - She doesn't dare to think about it any further, but that would be the solution if they moved here! And Mum? Would she come too?

Holger explains to his brother that there is of course no timber industry here on the island. The job opportunities are mainly in the service sector, e.g. in hotels and restaurants, cab rides, fishing, jobs on the beach or in construction, because there is constant construction on the island. For women, the best place to work is in hotels or restaurants. Of course, there are also flower shopson Juist. Greta listens to the conversation between the two men with half an ear, but does not take part. Instead, she often looks at her daughter. Sonja seems very interested in the conversation. The mother moves a little closer to her daughter and asks her bluntly: "What do you think about moving from the Austrian mountains to the North Sea coast, Sonja?" "So, Mommy. Today is probably the day to show your true colors! I didn't want to study because I want to do sports. I had already made the plan in Austria that after school I wanted to do my lifeguard training and definitely get my diving license. I wanted to do that on Lake Aachen. It would be much better here, of course! And lifeguards as well as diving and surfing instructors are needed here. I agree to move here immediately. I really hope that Dad and Uncle Holger work together and we move here. What do you think?” Greta’s expression is skeptical. “Well, there are flower shops everywhere, otherwise I’m sure I would find something else. But the North Germans are a people of their own! It’s not easy to warm to them. Your father will find it easier: he was born here and spent his youth here. The fact that he grew up on a Hallig island probably speaks in his favor, because it’s old news that you have to work hard there if you want to survive. And the fact that he works as a foreman in a large sawmill in Austria certainly doesn’t make him any less attractive to this area. And he seems to have already tasted blood. His eyes have never shone so clearly. What the heck! It’s his home!” "And could you bring yourself to move here with us?" Sonja asks again. "I think so," Greta replies. "Hm, I think so! We'll get used to the idea slowly!" All four of them look out over the North Sea, at the constant surging of the waves. Back at the hotel, as the family sits comfortably together for dinner, Jens dares to make a move: "How do you like it here?" Sonja bursts out: "It's great here! I'd love to stay here forever!!!" "And you, Greta?" Jens asks quietly. "Yes, Jens, I like it here too. If you want to live here by your North Sea again, I won't make any trouble. I'm in. Not with flying colors like your daughter, but I'm in!" "Well, Holger, I think you have a partner again. We'll sort everything out at home in peace and then, say in 2 months, we'll start a new phase of our lives here! In the meantime, please look for a comfortable apartment for two families, or an affordable house. It shouldn't be in the furthest corner of Juist, like your cottage. In it, however, you can prepare a holiday accommodation with two rooms for us for a three-week holiday, during which we can then sort everything out here." Holger looks at his brother, Greta and Sonja as if he thinks this is all a dream from which he will wake up at any moment. Should he, the unlucky, starving man, finally have some luck? Now that he had only expected his brother's contempt and hatred, and that his brother had approached him completely differently? After dinner, the two brothers make their way to the cottage and feed the horses together. Then they discuss which two rooms can be used for the holiday and what is still missing to make it a little more comfortable.

Happy that they have found each other again, the four Mertens say goodbye on Sunday morning. The Austrian branch of the family wants to come back in three weeks to confirm the partnership on site, find a job for Greta and hold discussions about how Sonja's plans can be realized. She will then complete her last school year on Juist and slowly allow her dreams to take shape. The most important discussions will be with the team from the DLRG, the German Life Saving Association. But discussions will also be necessary with the mayor of the island.

Back home in Austria, Jens quits his job at the Bindler sawmill and Greta gives up her job at the flower shop. Sonja also tells the teacher that she will be living on the island of Juist in the North Sea at the start of the next school year. Everyone is sorry that the ever-helpful Mertens family wants to leave the village and the country. In the time that remains, there are many invitations, because everyone wants to spend a few more hours with the popular florist Greta or the friendly schoolmate Sonja. Jens is also literally passed around among his work colleagues.

Under these circumstances, the three weeks until the start of the holidays quickly come to an end. Then it is already time to drive up to the North Sea again. This time, Jens has set the departure time so that the family arrives in Norddeich-Mole two hours before the ferry departs. He is allowed to park his car in the courtyard of the hotel where the family stayed on their first visit. When they arrive on Juist, Holger is already waiting with his covered wagon. The luggage is loaded, then everyone hugs each other before the reins are released to the two horses. To Jens' surprise, Holger drives to a farm in the center of the town of Juist and tells his brother that this is his new home on the island. There is a lot to do on the farm, but the rooms are ideal for two living areas. The barn looks almost new and the stable was also renovated not long ago. There are eight spacious horse boxes and the property also includes a large fenced meadow. Jens and his two ladies are thrilled.

Above all, the property is affordable. Jens does have to take out a loan, but it is nowhere near as high as he had expected. In any case, he does not have to go to the limit he set himself. After this surprise, Holger drives his two draft horses to the stable at home and Jens and his family move into the two rooms in the cottage that have been hastily converted into guest rooms.Holger has also already obtained a work permit for his brother. According to the document issued by the mayor, Jens can work as a carpenter. But he also has the option of driving a cab and working as a coastal fisherman. Greta can work in the flower shop 'An der Düne' and Sonja is enrolled in the Juist secondary school for the next school year. With these requirements, even Greta is looking forward to moving house in 5 weeks. Since Jens saw that 4 horse boxes were left empty, he has been thinking about renting horses to tourists or setting up a riding school. But this idea only lives at the back of his mind. Now that Holger has done so much preparatory work, he will be taking care of the farm first. With the help of his brother and one or two friends, the building may already be ready for occupancy by the time he and his family move here.

Sonja unpacks her suitcase in the cottage and sorts her things into the only closet in a way that saves as much space as possible. After this, she slips into her swimsuit, a pair of colorful shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt. The girl runs over the dune down to the beach. She drops her bag and clothes in the sand and sprints into the sea. She runs and runs and is surprised that the water doesn't get any deeper. Finally she has reached the end of the sandbank and suddenly she is standing up to her belly in water. She simply lets herself fall into the waves and when she has the salty North Sea water in her mouth, she coughs and quickly spits out the salty liquid. Aha, she thinks! There is a huge difference to Lake Aachen! But then there is no stopping her. She swims and swims and suddenly a boat is next to her and two young men wearing DLRG shirts slide into the water on either side. "What do you think the red buoys in the water are for? Do you really think they're only there to make themselves look good? You're only allowed to swim as far as the red buoys!!! Do you understand that? Now get in the boat and you can get back in the water in front of the buoys. Dowe understand each other? If something happens to you out here, we'll have to see how we can get you out of this mess. You wouldn't be the first this year to drown on this strip, either because we didn't see you or because you know everything better. Now get in the boat!" Sonja actually wants to protest, but the young blond looks so angry that she decides not to. "I'm coming! But you don't have to go out because of me. I'm a great swimmer. I'll be able to get back from here with ease! Let me out and I'll show you. You can go alongside me. But that's really just a small thing for me..." "You stay where you are and now shut up. I'm angry, but otherwise you'll really get to know me, and you definitely don't want that! Back, Peer!" "Ayei, ayei, Captain! Jan! Don't puff yourself up like that. The little one would definitely make it..." "You keep your mouth shut and go back, otherwise you'll risk being reported!" Sonja intervenes: "Give in, Peer, I'm already coming with you." "Finally! It's possible!" With that, the boat races back. Peer doesn't stop at the red buoy, but drives to the shore. Jan gets out and runs to the base. "What's wrong with him? Does he always go crazy? I wanted to talk to you after the swim. I want to get my lifeguard license and I need to know what the requirements are. A diving license is next, and I want to learn to surf both for myself and to teach others who are interested. That's what I want to do after school." "And how long are you going to school for?" Peer wants to know. "One more year." "So. What's your name anyway?" "My lovely name is Sonja and I come from Austria, but we're moving here in 5 weeks. Anything else?" "No! You have to be 18 to get your lifeguard and diving license. It's just important that you..." "...have a sense of responsibility and duty. I know that. But how can I bridge the waiting time sensibly? I'd like to do something preparatory. An office apprenticeship would take too long and I'm not at all interested in it. What options would I have?" "If you have another year of school, you should be 15 now, right?" "Not quite right. I'm still 16, but not for much longer! I'll be 17 in 4 months. I thought about it for a while before I decided to go to secondary school!" "That means you'll have to do something else for a year. How about training with the Red Cross? For example, as a trainee nurse or paramedic. You need the paramedic course for the lifeguard and for your diving license anyway. After all, if you've fished someone out of the water, you need to know how to get them back on their feet. What do you think?" "Peer, that's a good idea. But I still want to talk to one of your bosses. No offense, Peer. You've helped me a lot before. On the other hand, that chaos almost led me astray." "Don't hold it against him. Jan is a fine guy! But today he's had to swallow a few tough nuts. Even someone like him loses his nerve at some point. Now it's you who's taken the hit. But twice today children have already escaped the Grim Reaper by a whisker. One boy was already clinically dead. But Jan didn't give up. He didn't accept that a 4-year-old boy could drown in his presence. And he was further out than was good for him. When he got a cramp, the only way was down, towards the bottom. None of us would have been able to get the boy out. Jan did it. So don't hold it against him!" "Thanks for the talk. I'll remember it. Who can I turn to other than you?" "Mattes is the boss of our group here. He can help you best." "Thanks, Peer. I'll look for Mattes!" Sonja is almost dry again as she walks up the short stairs to the observation platform of the base. She goes up to Jan and says to him: "Jan, please stay at the observation post for now. I have to kidnap Mattes for a chat. Thank you for your help earlier. You did everything right. I behaved stupidly. It won't happen again. I promise!" The second man in the lookout looks at the resolute girl with interest. He is impressed by the way she behaves towards Jan. He had, of course, told his boss about the incident out in the sea. "You had a long conversation with Peer. What was it about? Did he give you a dressing down?" Sonja grins and nods. "Yes, that too. But I asked him what I can do in the interim period until I can do my lifeguard training with you." "... How long are we talking about?" Mattes looks more closely at the girl. "We're talking about a year. I'm almost 17 now and my name is Sonja Mertens. When I'm 18, I want to join you as a lifeguard and a diver, and a few other things. Peer said that I could do a first aid course when I'm 17..." "Stop. Take it easy." Mattes now wants to know exactly, and suddenly he addresses her using the informal "du". "How serious are you about the DLRG?" Sonja answers with complete conviction: "That is the top priority! It is my firm intention to work for you..." "Good," Mattes interrupts, "the first aid course is important and you'll do it right away and then you'll come to us..." Before Mattes can finish his sentence, Jan interjects: "... but that's not possible. She has to be 18!" Mattes counters: "I still decide what is and isn't allowed. We're setting up a youth group and if at least one or two of the young people who take part decide to join the DLRG service, then we've already won a lot. And even if nobody stays: then those who were in the youth group will at least have learned what they can and can't do! And that means we'll have a few fewer rescue missions!" Jan sees that. "You're right, of course. So, young lady. Welcome to the club! And no offense! I've had a difficult day today." Sonja smiles and says: "Peer already told me. So I would say: We'll do it as we just discussed with you, Mattes. And now I'm going into the sea again. To the red buoys! I wish you a peaceful afternoon!"

"What a woman!" Mattes says to Jan, deeply impressed. "She caught me completely off guard. But yes, she is quite a special character!" smiles the lifeguard. "How far out was she?" Mattes wants to know. "It's better not to ask, otherwise you'll get upset later even though you didn't see it." "So, how far?" Mattes doesn't let up. "She was out as far as the shipping lane! Luckily no ship came!" "Wow, that speaks for particularly good physical condition! I don't know if I could manage it, even with the best will in the world," says Mattes. "If you hadn't gone out, she would have had to swim back again! And the young lady lives here?" "No idea. Ask Peer. He had a long chat with her." "Oh, there he comes. Peer! Please come in and see us. The girl, I think her name is Sonja, does she live here in Juist?" "Now, you two, before you burst out of curiosity: No, she still lives in the beautiful country of Austria. You know, the country with the high mountains," he jokes. "But in 5 weeks she'll be an islander! I think she's related to the starving Mertens. In any case, she's currently living with him and her parents. But I've heard something saying that Mertens has put a deposit on the Dünen-Hof. That would be good, because it's really sad when a property like that goes to the dogs. He'll never manage it on his own. Well, we'll see!" Jan hasn't taken his eyes off Sonja since she ran back into the North Sea. "She actually stops at the red buoys!" he calls to his two colleagues. "A good girl! So, guys, I'm off now. I can't pull another fish ashore today anyway. See you tomorrow then." And with that, Jan goes home. He's had enough for today.

After the second lap of swimming, Sonja takes a few deep breaths, gathers her things together and also setsoff home. It was a very exciting day, but she also learned a lot of important and interesting things. To celebrate the day, they eat in the restaurant and it is late before everyone has told their stories about the day. Jens asks Sonja: "So you really have made up your mind to train for the DLRG? Do you actually realize how much responsibility you have? It is undoubtedly a very important job, but also a very dangerous one. If someone is in distress at sea, you cannot say: 'I don't feel like it right now', 'I want to eat' or 'call my girlfriend'. Then you have to go, no matter what else might be more important to you at the time." "I know all that, Dad. I had very intensive discussions with some of the DLRG guys today. But Mattes, the head of the group here, has promised me to set up a youth group of the DLRG. This will give me additional training and when I have completed my first aid course, I can use this knowledge to help out wherever possible." "Very well, my girl. If you have already informed yourself so well and you are determined to do so, then I don't want to put any obstacles in your way. I'm sure you will do well!" The next day, Sonja is of course back on the beach. Because she wants to spend the whole day on the North Sea, she has treated herself to a beach chair. She has barely made her berth when she rushes into the water. She has no idea that Jan is already at the base and is watching her closely. She walks slowly through the shallow water, but as soon as the water is deep enough to swim in, she swims out with powerful strokes. When she reaches the red buoy, she pauses for a moment. Jan is curious to see what she is doing now. Sonja would prefer to keep swimming, but she has promised to follow the rules. So she turns around and swims across to the next red marker. She repeats the whole thing three times, then turns onto her back and swims back. On the shore, Jan hands her a towel. Smiling, he says: "That must have been a difficult decision out there! But you stuck tothe rules! I give you a lot of credit for that. If you had kept swimming, you could have forgotten your place with us. Irrevocably. Forever! We have to be able to rely on our comrades blindly. And a given word is and remains a given word! I'm looking forward to working with you. Now I want to tell you why I was so angry yesterday: It had nothing to do with the fact that I'd already had a hard day. You swam out to the shipping lane! None of the ships out there pay attention to whether there might be anything floating in the water. If a ship hits you there, you're dead. Dead, you understand? You get caught in the propeller, the suction pulls you down, and there are a few other nice possibilities. And then even I wouldn't be able to help you. That's what made me so angry! 5 meters behind the buoy, nobody really says anything. But what you did there was pure recklessness. And believe me, Sonja: If you work for the DLRG, you will, for better or for worse, be confronted with deaths caused by recklessness! We are lifeguards! We are often called 'lifesavers'. But there are situations where we are powerless and if they are caused by carelessness or overconfidence, then..." "Thank you, Jan. I understood you yesterday after talking to Mattes, but now I know what really matters: not that I can swim 20 kilometers in one go, but that I recognize that there is danger before anything happens!" "I couldn't have said it better! Mattes asked me yesterday how far out you were and when I finally told him, protesting, he said: 'A great achievement! She would have had to swim back again if you hadn't gone out. I don't know if I could do it!' At that moment I really doubted whether he was the right man to be our boss!" "I understand you. In his position, he must be aware that the distance doesn't matter. If someonehas problems that far out, then maybe a speedboat can manage. To bring help, but swimming is too late for anyone!” “Girl, if you stick to everything you have already learned, you will become a big name among the DLRG rescuers. If you feel like it, come up to the base. Not as a member yet, but as a guest!” “Oh yes, of course, Jan, and if I can help in any way…” “…then you’re in!”

Together they wade through the sand up to the base and sit down on the viewing platform. Mattes looks sideways at his colleague and asks: "What's that about? - "She's staying here! Otherwise you'll have to do without me too!" Mattes gasps for air, but he says nothing more, because he knows: When Jan says something like that, he means it. Peer, who has also arrived at the base in the meantime, knows his friend well. He knows that Jan has recognized the special qualities of this girl and that he will do everything he can to make her a good DLRG comrade. After about an hour, Sonja suddenly jumps off the platform and runs into the water. Seconds later, with big strides, she is next to a little girl who is holding a bucket. She picks up the child and carries her to the beach. The bucket is floating in the water, ownerless, while Jan, who has immediately followed her, puts the girl in the recovery position, turns her head to the side and hits her hard on the back. When the child does not spit out any water, he lifts it upside down and shakes it gently. The next moment a torrent of water flows from the child's mouth and it begins to scream loudly. Very gently he lays the little body in the sand and strokes its head. A young woman comes out of the crowd of curious onlookers who have gathered to watch and throws herself in the sand next to the girl. Tears run down the mother's face and she hugs the little girl tightly while Jan grabs Sonja's hand and brings her back to the base. "How did you notice that, Princess?" he asks. Sonja has to slowly come to her senses. "Princess?" she looks at him questioningly. Quietly and hesitantly she says: "She ran into the sea with the bucket and fell. She didn't let go of the bucket, but she didn't get up." "I didn't notice that! I saw her playing with the bucket too, but I didn't see her fall down and not get up again!" Mattes gets a bottle of cognac from the medicine cabinet, pours a small glass and gives it to Sonja. "Drink," he says. Then he takes a sip himself. Jan refuses. He has regained his composure. "Would you like to go back, Sonja?" he asks. But Sonja just shakes her head and sits back down on the observation post. "I didn't see anything either!" Peer says very quietly. He just shakes his head and repeats: "I didn't see anything either!" Slowly, peace returns to the beach, the crowd disperses and some look up at the base and nod. At the base, Peer relieves the young woman who is still holding Jan protectively in his arms. Mattes writes his report in short bullet points. What has to be done, has to be done! Sonja carefully lets herself out of Jan's arms, smiling slightly, and says: "I want to go for a swim." Jan nods at her, also smiling. "Just go."

Sonja slowly trudges through the soft, warm sand and continues through the ankle-deep water over the sandbank and lets herself slide into the deepening sea. She lies almost motionless on her back in the water and lets herself drift. Only her hands move gently. Only now does she begin to understand what happened earlier. Once again she sees the child playing in front of her and how it falls into the deepening water and can no longer get up. She sees again how the little girl is desperately holding onto her bucket. And once again she sees herself running towards the girl floating motionless in the lake. What did Jan say? 'If you work with the DLRG, you will be confronted with deaths caused by carelessness, for better or for worse' ... It was almost that time earlier! But she has not only learned about the danger thatshe has to recognize, she has also learned about working with a colleague, with Jan. One person alone is difficult, but if the group works together, then anything can be achieved! Everything? Probably not, but almost everything! She turns around and swims with strong strokes out to the red buoy. Sonja smiles to herself: As far as the red buoy, no further! She lets go of the warning signal, swims around it once and swims across. Suddenly Peer is at her side. "I suppose you can't do the crawl?" he asks seriously. He is not surprised by her "no". "Well, then that's your first lesson. Without the crawl, almost nothing works for us. So: the legs don't do the frog motion, they stay stretched out and hit the water alternately. The force and speed of the kick affects the speed. And the arms move forward in offset positions and push the water aside with the hand. With a bit of practice, you'll coordinate this all by yourself and get faster as a result. So go on, give it a try." Sonja has of course seen swimmers do the crawl, she has even tried it. But it didn't really work out and she stuck to breaststroke and backstroke. But now, when Peer is there and helps her with specific tips, she will really put in the effort so that she learns and can soon keep up with the others in the group. Peer makes sure that the kick is done with the leg straight and that the hands push the water to the side like shovels. After a while, the young man is satisfied and swims back to the beach with her without any further instructions. "Are you coming back to the observation post with me or would you rather hide in your castle, princess?" "You know what, Peer? The princess is hiding in her castle! Then you princes can talk about her in peace." And with that, they part ways. Sonja heads for her beach chair and Peer goes back to the observation station. Sonja has positioned her 'castle' so that she can see the beach and the North Sea. With a final light push, she can even see the DLRG station. Amischievous grin spreads across her face. Just wait, you princes! You'll get to know me soon enough! She thinks to herself. She is excited about the rest of the group and hopes to get to know them this way.

It is slowly getting towards midday. Sonja notices this because she is feeling hungry. While she is still thinking about what she wants to fill her stomach with, Mattes is standing in front of her beach chair and hands her a roll with North Sea shrimp. She looks up at him through the dark lenses of her sunglasses, tilts her head to the side and asks: "Peace, Mattes?" He hesitates a bit before answering: "Peace. Of course. I would be pretty stupid if I did without someone like you. I just have to make one condition..." "One condition?" Sonja interrupts Mattes... "Yes, one condition. And that is that you leave Jan and Peer alone!" Sonja laughs loudly. The guests in the beach chairs near her all look over and wonder what the girl has to do with the head of the rescue team. Mattes turns bright red and looks around embarrassed. "Don't worry, Captain, we are friends, that's all! And we will stay that way. Oh, Mattes! You can rely on the boys and on me! It should be in your interest if there is a good and trusting atmosphere in the group. When I get to know the others too, I hope that my circle of friends will then be even bigger! I would be very happy if I could count you among my friends too. Are you okay with that?” “Of course! That's how it should be. No offense.” “But something completely different, Mattes. Would it be possible for one or two of the colleagues to help out on the farm that my parents are getting up and running with Uncle Holger? We've been here for 3 weeks now and Dad wants to make it so that when we come here in 5 weeks, we can move into the farm straight away. I'm afraid Holger doesn't have any real friends yet and he won't be able to do the work alone by then.” “Peer and Jan willdefinitely join in, and so will I. The boys will let the others know and then it'll work out. So the hungry guy... sorry, it just slipped out! So Holger Mertens is your uncle?" "Correct. But we've had next to no contact up until now. But that's another story. Thank you for wanting to help! And thank you for the crab sandwich, Mattes." "You're welcome. Enjoy it. But we call it a roll. Crab sandwich! And I have to thank you for your efforts this morning. That was great! I'll be off then. You're always welcome over here!" "Thank you, Mattes, see you later." Sonja thinks to herself: It would be great if the boys on the farm would help! And as she does so, she eats her crab sandwich with great appetite. Ouch! The crab sandwich! Sonja ends a long run on the beach with a dip in the North Sea and a long swim. She immediately practices crawling again and is very happy with the result. Suddenly the DLRG boat is next to her and two grinning guys ask her to get in the boat. Sonja is about to say that she didn't swim too far out, but Peer waves her off. "Come in! Let's let the wind blow through our hair!" She doesn't need to be told twice and quickly climbs from the North Sea water into the boat. And Jan puts his foot on the gas! The lifeboat plows through the sea at lightning speed. The eyes of the three friends flash as Jan stops the boat by simply pulling out the key and handing it to Peer. And when a passenger steamer passes near them, they enjoy being really shaken up and then they let the waves rock them for a while.

"When can we take a look at your farm to see how and what we can help with? Knut and Malte are also coming. You'll meet them when we get back," Jan begins. Sonja replies happily: "That's fantastic! If you finish up this evening, I'll show you ourfarm. Dad and Holger will be happy to have such active help." Peer starts the engine of the DLRG boat and drives back at a moderate speed. He pulls it so far onto the beach that it cannot be washed away. Overnight, the boat is also attached to an anchor far back. Jan asks Sonja to accompany him to the station. He would like to introduce her to the three other comrades who are still part of the group. By the time they reach the station, Peer has caught up with her and together they go up the three steps to the observation room. "Sorry, Mattes, but since there was absolutely nothing going on this afternoon, we thought we'd show how fast and maneuverable our boat is!" "That's what you thought." – Mattes doesn't like this solo effort by his two best lifeguards at all. "You know very well that things happen when nobody expects it. And if there are only two swimmers down there, one of them can get hit and suddenly give up for some unknown reason. What if you're out for a drive? Our job is to be present here. Always. That was the case when we were still doing it on a voluntary basis and it's even more so now that it's our job. If someone drowns, it won't help them if I say: Sorry, my lifeguards are going on a boat trip..." "It's fine, Mattes. We understand. You're right, of course! But the boys wanted to make me happy, that's all. It won't happen again!" Sonja interrupts the boss's accusation. The two sinners also stand guiltily next to the girl. "Okay, I assume that it will remain an exception!" Mattes has calmed down again. So Jan introduces the three men still here to the young lady: "Sonja, this one with the moustache who looks like a seal is Knut. And the blond giant is Malte. At the back of the fridge with the beer bottle is Ringo. His real name is Sven, but nobody calls him that here. He just looks a bit like a cowboy. And this, gentlemen, is our youngest member - voluntary -she's not officially allowed yet. She goes by the lovely name of Sonja. Her father is currently restoring the Dune Farm, which he wants to run together with Holger Mertens, his brother. The two men could use a few energetic hands for their work. The farm should be ready for occupancy in five weeks, because that's when Sonja will become an islander. The three of us have already signed up for service and hope that you are ready to help too. After all, our island princess can't live on the beach, so we'll build her a castle of course!" "Why island princess?" asks Knut and now everyone is excited to hear Jan's explanation. "So, Sonja was here on the ward for the second time today and without her a small child would have drowned this morning. None of us noticed what was going on on the beach. But she recognized it and before any of us could say anything, she had already brought the little one ashore. And since there is not a single woman on duty here on our part of the coast, she is - at least for me - the island princess." Malte speaks up: "There must be a reason why the minimum entry age is set at 18 years." When Jan wants to answer, Mattes stops him. He wants to give the answer himself. "So, Malte, we have had a very detailed conversation with Sonja. She convinced all three of us that she is determined to train as a lifeguard here with us. She has some good plans in addition, but that is not relevant now. She still has a year left in secondary school. That is why she will be doing a

Complete the paramedic training and exam and I will set up a youth DLRG, where she will learn everything she needs to know. Then she will have completed the full training to become a lifeguard and can work as a full member of our group at the age of 18. Jan took her on after she swam to the shipping line, Peer talked to her and explained to her what was important to us, and I spoke to her again in plain language, whereupon she explained to me in a credible way why she wanted to come to us. And that's why it's staying that way. If you're skeptical, then just wait, observe her and form your opinion when you've gotten to know her better." "Okay. That's a suggestion I can live with. I'll be there for the work assignments!" Knut and Ringo also agree to work at the Dünen-Hof. All of this has taken up quite a lot of time, so Sonja thanks the three newcomers, says goodbye to the group and turns her thoughts to Holger's Kate. Her father and Holger will be happy about the active help promised by the young men.

Sonja is still alone in the cottage. The others are still working on the farm. So she looks in the fridge to see what she can prepare for dinner. The tomatoes look very good. 'That will make an excellent tomato salad.' Too bad she can't find any basil. So she cuts an onion into very small cubes and chives into fine rolls. She even finds parsley in the small vegetable garden. Everything is cut up and seasoned with salt and pepper. Oil still needs to be added to the salad! What was it again, why oil needs to be added to the salad? Because otherwise the salad crunches between your teeth! She says with a grin. The first course is ready. She found a packet of quark in the fridge. In the absence of cream, she stirs the white cheese with a dash of milk until smooth. She seasons it with salt and cuts a second onion, a really big one this time, into fine cubes and adds it to the quark. Before that, she puts some potatoes on the stove and makes a pot of herbal tea. When everything is ready, she sets the table and Jens, Greta and Holger arrive on time. Surprised, they sit down and all dig in. After the family has eaten their fill and everyone has settled on a cozy cup of tea, Jens says: "Holger, we can't do that in 5 weeks. There's more to fix than I thought..."... "Dad, you'll finish! My colleagues from the rescue station have promised to help. After work, Jan wants to come by the Dünen-Hof with Peer to have a look at what's wrong," Sonja interrupts her father. "TheDünen-Hof? How did you come up with that name?" Jens and Holger are hearing this name for their farm for the first time. "Yes, Peer called it that. But of course we can call it the Mertens-Hof. I'll ask the mayor!"

"So your friends from the DLRG want to help! Great, Sonja, they'll come once and when they know that it's work, really hard work, they'll leave straight away!" Holger nods in agreement. But Sonja says disappointedly: "Why do you have to come with prejudices before the boys start? That's a shame! I thought you'd be happy. I'm going to the farm now. Jan will be there soon. It's a shame you're not coming with me!" "I'll go with you," says the father. And together they leave Holger's hut.