The Sweetest Word: Fairy-Tale Poems

From ‘Fairy Tale’ by Jaap Fischer

And then it was Hans’s turn
And Hans said, “Well, I’m not sure yet. But she must be a girl, with beautiful clothes and golden-blonde locks, with eyes like lakes that can’t tell a lie.
And a mouth like honey, yet sharp as a knife. And hopefully her father will be a king. And she’ll be a princess.
But…… her name must be Liesje’. And then the princess looked at him and said: ‘My name is Esmeralda, but you can call me Liesje’.

Baron Von Paltz tot Van der Pas (call me Piet) takes you to fairy-tale land in *Het Liefste Woord* this time.
For quite some time now, a wave of fairy tales has been sweeping across the De Paltz Estate. Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella and Snow White have all made—and continue to make—their appearances in retellings by Herman van Veen. But fairy tales can never be told often enough. That’s why Piet van der Pas (call him Baron) is bringing along a well-stocked little case full of marvellous fairy tales, from H.C. Andersen to Annie M.G. and from Jaap Fischer to Godfried Bomans – and who knows what else.