Amelie Plays

By Eva Markert

Amelie is a little bored now and then – but that never lasts very long, because she always thinks of something great that she can play: Café with her friend Sophie, for example, or the challenging Yes/No Game with Dad. She teaches her doll Lisa to fly, extinguishes fires in the doll house with her cousin Amos and secretly changes clothes with him because ... Well, I won't spoil that here.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jun 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781071544020

Book preview

The Fire Engine

Amelie’s cousin Amos and his mum are visiting this afternoon.

Amelie’s mum and Aunt Susan are drinking coffee in the living room. Amelie and Amos are in the nursery room.

Should we play with your fire engine? Amos proposes. He really likes Amelie’s fire engine, most of all the ladder, which can be extended. And the blue light and the siren sound, of course.

Amelie agrees. She also likes to play with her fire engine. Listen, this is how we’ll do it, she explains. There is a fire in my doll house. You control the dolls. And I will be the fireman and come to rescue you.

No, other way around, Amos disagrees. I’ll be the fireman and save the dolls.

"It’s my fire engine, Amelie argues. So, I get to be the fireman."

What nonsense! Amos exclaims. Girls can’t be firemen!

And why not? Amelie asks, angered.

Because they aren’t strong enough. And they’re always afraid.

But Amelie has an entirely different opinion! Girls can do the same things as boys, she asserts.

Amos jumps up and balls his fists. I bet you can’t beat me! he exclaims.

Amelie likewise jumps up. I bet I can!

Amos laughs loudly. I’m sure not afraid of you."

And I’m not afraid of you.

Amos takes a step closer. I’m warning you!

Amelie likewise takes a step forward.

They are standing right up close to each other and staring at one another furiously.

Then Mum and Aunt Susan come in.

What’s going on here? Mum asks in a strict tone.

At the same moment, Aunt Susan says: You’re not about to get into a fight, are you?

Amos and Amelie both try to explain at the same time why they are angry. They yell over each other. It is hard to understand a word they are saying.

If I have understood correctly, you are fighting over the fire engine, says Amelie’s mum. If you don’t stop it right now, I’ll take the fire engine away.

Of course, Amelie and Amos don’t want that. Both are quiet for an instant.

Then Amelie says: Amos thinks a girl can’t be a fireman.

Aunt Susan laughs. He is right about that, she says.

See? Amos exclaims.

Just a moment, Aunt Susan adds. I just mean that a girl can’t be a man. At most a woman.

There are no firewomen, Amos asserts.

Of course there are, Amelie’s mum and Aunt Susan contradict him.

Now it is Amelie who exclaims: See?

Fine, Amos says. We can take turns. You can be the fireman first, if you like.

The firewoman, you dope, Amelie corrects him.

Amelie’s mum and Aunt Susan sigh and leave the room.

Amelie kneels down on the floor and has the fire engine drive up to the doll house with the blue light flashing and the alarm blaring nee-naw, nee-naw.

Bernie, Amelie’s dog, doesn’t like this sound and slips away.

Amos moves the dolls who live in the doll house, and he does such a great job that the firewoman stops from time to time simply to watch.

The doll mother runs screaming to the window. The firewoman has extended the ladder up to it. The mother scrambles into the basket at the top of the ladder and rides down to the ground in it. The father is one storey higher. The ladder won’t reach that far. He will have to jump from the window. Quickly, the firewoman spreads out a handkerchief under the window as a rescue net. The children, a boy and a girl, slide down the banister in the doll house because it’s quicker, and run outside. The firewoman must retrieve the baby in its cradle.

My wallet! the father suddenly yells. He climbs back up the ladder and through