The Flying Dutchman and Other Folktales from the Netherlands

Copyright © 2008 by Theo Meder

A simple, kind-hearted farmer's wife saw a young man standing somewhere along the country road. The man was staring at the sky while he cried and moaned.

The compassionate heart of the woman was touched, and she asked, ''What's wrong with you, dear?"

"Oh, old mother, I fell from heaven and now I can't find back the hole!"

"You fell from heaven?" she repeated while shaking her head. "In that case, you'll know some people above."

"Of course."

"Oh, then perhaps you know my son too, good old Kees?" [1]

"What do you know; is he your son? He's my next door neighbour! Sure I know Kees!"

"So, how is he doing, that good and innocent boy?"

"Not bad, not bad. Only, the other week he was complaining that all of his stockings were worn-out, and he was out of sausages, ham, and butter. For the rest, he is doing just fine."

The old mother requested the young man to carry some goods to her son Kees, since he intended to return to heaven anyhow. The young man agreed. The woman prepared two parcels; one for the fallen young man and one – the best – for her son.

The young man left, but it is said that he still hasn't found the hole from which he fell to earth.

[1] Kees is a very common Dutch name.

This story is a version of ATU 1540, The Student from Paradise (Paris) – often the tale begins with some kind of misunderstanding, such as a student saying he comes from Paris, while the farmer thinks he said paradise. The tale was sent to collector G. J. Boekenoogen on February 7, 1894, by A. Rührup, a manufacturer of mineral water and lemonade from Rotterdam (South Holland). The translation is based on T. Meder and C. Hendriks, Vertelcultuur in Nederland (Amsterdam, 2005), p. 280.