"Everyone has a family." "That means you belong somewhere." "It's usually easy to see." "Take Koos and his family." "Sir!" "I want my liquorice back!" "Teacher's case is even easier." "They're the same in everything." "And sometimes it's just too easy." "Puch is the new lady next door." "She's a bit scary." "I don't know if the rest of her family are scary." "I've never met them." "At my place we're all fairly different." "Bonnie, come quick." "At least on the outside." "But sometimes it shows." "I come from an elephant family." "My grandpa's grandpa was a forest ranger in Africa." "We inherited the elephants from him." "BONKERS" "Bonnie..." "My grandma looks after us." "She wakes me, cooks and reminds me what I forget." "Everyday I go to school, she says:" ""Watch out crossing the road."" "As if I were a baby!" "I love my grandma, but she can be strict." "It's because of my mother." "Mostly my mother's my mother." "But not always." "Sometimes my mother is a bit different." "A bit weird." "She stays in bed with a blanket over her head and doesn't care about anything." "Shall we hang it here?" "Go and get some tape." "Lisa, look what Bonnie made for you." "When she's like that, there's nothing you can do." "It can be weeks before she gets out of bed." "Fortunately I have my grandma." "Lisa, I want you to dress and come down for breakfast." "With Mum she's very strict." " Lisa, did you hear me?" "After hibernating, she has a lot of catching up to do." "She gets very lively and goes wild." "My mother is an all-or-nothing mother." "But it's not her fault." "She was born like that." "Twelve pairs of trousers?" "When you wear the last, you'll be too big for the first." "Mummy says it's okay." " Mummy allows anything." "I know." "With a mum like that, you..." "...have to think for yourself." "I don't mind a mum who's a bit strange." "As long as it's funny strange." "But sometimes..." "Mum?" "...she's really bonkers." "Take them now." "I'll stand and watch until you do." "Leave it up to me, will you?" " No, I won't." "You won't?" " No, I won't." "I don't need them." "I feel fine." "Come on, Lisa." " Okay, I'll take one." "In my home, Grandma is in charge." "Like in a herd of elephants where the oldest female is in charge." "Okay." "Gone." "Satisfied?" "From Silly Stories can I have Thumbelina?" "Can you give me burping from Bad Habits?" "And from Delicious Desserts: ice cream?" " How did you know?" "Silly Story:" "Frau Holle." " I have that too." "And Great Times: holidays." "That's not fair." "I'm out." " Bad luck." "You won 30 times." "Hush, I can hear something." "I can hear an elephant." "An elephant?" "An elephant." " Where?" "Put your ear to the ground." "You never sleep better than near elephants." "You see that meat?" "Yes." "It's fresh." "How d'you know?" "You can see from the blood." "If it's red, it's fresh." "If it's brown is old." "She murdered that today." "I think she has stocks in the cellar." "What?" "Corpses." "When she's hungry she chops off bits for the barbecue." "It smells of chops." "Bonnie..." "It's a good thing you don't know some things in advance." "Our last day together started as normal." "Watch out crossing the road." "Like always." "Slow down." "Take your skates off." "Damn." " What did I tell you?" "Sir, can I go home?" "I forgot my shoes." "You need them for arithmetic?" "Come on." " You're talented on socks." "You'll score 10 without shoes." " Or three." "You never know." "Please." " No way." "Here you are." "I know I shouldn't blame the teacher." "But if he'd let me go home, nothing would have happened." "There'd still be three of us." "It's strange." "Your life can change without you noticing." "For instance at break time." "FOR GRANDMA" "Are you Mrs. Wolk?" "Yes?" "I have bad news for you." "Your mother's had an accident." "Bonnie..." "Bonnie..." "Will you go along with Mr. Bouwer?" "Go on." "What are you doing here?" "Did you bring my shoes?" "What's up?" "Did I do anything wrong?" "Something terrible happened to Grandma." "It's as if no one dares say it out loud." "That my Grandma is dead" "I'd seen a dead bird and a squashed cat." "But Grandma was my first dead person." "Most people are sad when someone dies." "But my mum went wild." "Cats and dogs can't cry." "But elephants are really sad." "When one dies, the others don't desert it." "They stay with it as long as they can." "You're the first with these shoes." "Don't worry." "The first in Holland." "Lovely, symmetric soles..." " Her Grandma's dead." "The laces are hardened sulphate." " Run over..." "Run over..." "Nasty..." "That's why she needs new shoes." "My Grandma had my old shoes." "And now she's dead." "I'll take these." " Fine." "Five change..." "And your old shoes." "A lolly." "You both want one?" "Here you are." "And one for you." " Thank you." "Mum!" "Mum..." "I've got new shoes." "What time's dinner?" "It's up to you." "What's for dinner?" "Bonnie, fix yourself something." "I'm not hungry." "Here you are." "Did you bake it?" "Who did?" "Koos!" "Koos, I need you." "Now!" "Babies are stupid." "They're useless." "They're always around!" "Even when you don't want them." "You're lucky you never have to babysit." "Silly..." "Now you made him cry." "I just wanted to check he was alive." "Shut up!" "Bonnie, ask your mother to pay for the school trip." "Everyone else has paid." " Yes." "Koos!" "Koos, come on." "Damn!" "I have to go to the dentist." "Bye!" "Hi, I'm Jorien from Youth Care." "Are you Bonnie?" "Your mother must be out." "No one answers." "She must be at the shops." "How are you?" "Fine." " Even without your Grandma?" "I heard your mother wasn't too well." "Who said so?" " Oh, I just heard." "How about other relatives." "Aunts nearby?" "Nice to have someone to help you." "You're a brave girl." "Here." "You can always call me for a chat." "And ask your mother to call me." "Okay?" "Sure." "Bonnie, who was that?" "No one." "Mum." "It's so quiet." "Just the two of us." "Can I have a brother?" "Can we have a baby?" "A baby?" "Where from?" "There are some nice men at the garage or soccer." "That's not how it works." "And if I ask politely?" "Bonnie..." "You don't have babies by asking politely." "You have to meet someone and like them and want to be close." " And who crawls on top?" "Just like horses do." "Not that rough." "With laughing and cuddling..." "I'll buy you a book about it." "I don't want a book." "I want a brother." "I know you'd love a brother, but..." "It's not in the cards right now." "Who'd look after it?" " Me." "How about a pet?" "Think about what you'd like." "A baby." " Don't be silly, Bonnie." "An elephant." "A baby elephant." "There was once an old Russian who lived in the Caucasus" "He was in love with Olga" " Olay" "He said:" "I want to marry you so kiss me quick and say you will then I'll jump in the Volga" " Olay ay ay Olga, if you don't love me" "I'll jump in the Volga and that's freezing cold" "I want to share my vodka with you" "Bonnie." "Are you coming?" "I wanted an elephant, but you can't buy them in shops..." "A baby is easier." "You get one if you find someone you really like." "What's up?" "I can't go on the school trip." "Who says so?" "My mother." "Shall I go and talk to her?" "You have to come along." "Otherwise I won't enjoy it either." "I just have to check these and then I'll come." "The teacher's coming." "The teacher." " Have you done anything wrong?" "No, just stay there." "Don't I have to come downstairs?" " No, no... he's very nice." "I think you'll like him." "Bonnie, what do you mean?" "Nothing at all." "She's upstairs feeling ill but it's nothing." " Okay." "Go outside!" "Why is the teacher here?" "That's a secret." " What d'you mean?" "I'm getting a brother." "You call that a secret?" "I keep getting brothers." "Are we going to play or what?" "Come on." "I'm off." "Bye..." "Well..." "Your mother doesn't mind you going on the school trip." "There must have been a misunderstanding." "Is everything okay at home?" "I mean, without Grandma?" " Yes." "My mother is nice, isn't she?" "She's really sweet." "Yes." "You have a sweet mother who loves you to bits." "Don't forget." "Don't you forget." "No..." "See you tomorrow." "Bye..." "Has he gone?" "He's nice, isn't he?" "He said you're really sweet." "Stop it, Bonnie." "You're imagining things." "You can want it, but that's not how it works." "Don't you like him?" "Sure, he's very nice." "As your teacher." "Not for me." "You have to feel for a man, and I only feel tired." "Men like doing nice things." "God forbid!" "Maybe you should think about a pet." "A guinea pig or a rabbit." " An elephant!" "Aren't you taking them?" "If Grandma found out..." " But Grandma can't." "Grandma said things were better when you took the pills." "That's easy for Grandma." "She didn't have to take them." "Bonnie..." "The pills make me lose things." "With them I can't be happy or sad." "It's as if they chop a bit off the top and the bottom." "Open your mouth." " Let me do it my way." "Please, I promise I'll get better." "Oh, are you crying?" "Don't cry." "Koos..." "Oh, hush now." "We'll have some chips later." "D'you want mayonnaise or ketchup?" "What are you doing, stupid?" " There wasn't anyone." "What are you up to?" "It's not my fault." " I asked you to look after him." "I don't want you playing with her anymore." "It isn't Koos' fault!" "Look Mum, I fried them myself." "Not for me." "Ouch, Bonnie!" "You're not the only one who misses Grandma." "Hey Bonnie, are you coming?" "Come and fetch me later." "What?" "The school trip." "Remember?" "Everyone is picked up afterwards." " Oh yes, of course." "Just don't forget." "Hey, baby snatcher!" "Hey Koos..." "Bonnie..." "There's a seat here." "Come on." "How could you sleep in today of all days?" "Listen to me, you unruly bunch!" "Behave yourselves, don't climb over walls..." "We'll meet up here at 12 for lunch." "And then again at 4 pm." "Then we'll leave by bus." "Understood?" "Off you go." "Let's go to the monkeys." "There's a toilet over there." "A mouse and an elephant walk over a bridge." "Mouse says to elephant..." " "What a nice stamp!"" "You already knew it." "You had any breakfast?" "You can have a sandwich from bread I made myself!" "Look." "That's Dora and that is Dries." "You know them!" "I used to come with Grandma." "It's all her fault." "What?" "Everything." "That everything goes wrong." "It's because she's dead." ""Watch out crossing the road."" "She always said that." "And what does she do?" "Don't do that." "D'you know why I'm called Bonnie?" " No." "My Grandpa's Grandpa's favourite elephant was called Bonnie." "Oh, so you're related to them!" "Bonnie the elephant." "Bye!" "Koos..." "Off you go." "Look who we have here." "You want us to take you home by bus?" " My Mum comes to pick me up." "That's all right then." "Come on, keep moving." "Your mother's waiting for you, boy." "Bonnie, Bonnie!" "Bonnie." "Bonnie!" "Bonnie, I'm really trying!" "But you make me look silly!" "I want an ordinary mother!" "Ordinary..." " Yes, you have the pills for that!" "I'm not coming down!" "Never." "And I'd stay up here." "No matter what." "But when I was sitting there." "I promise to go to the doctor." "The world's big when you're small." "But now I was big." "The dogs, houses and trees were all small." "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon." "Further..." "Stop!" "You can go home, kids." "The fire brigade has saved the day." "I really will go." "Honest." "I promise." "My new pills..." "I'll do it different." "I'm going to seriously take them." "Swallow them." " Yes." "Go to bed on time." "Get up early..." "Eat well..." "Eat enough, fresh air, exercise..." "Don't stand up." "If you dance, I'm gone." "I won't do anything." "Really." "Will you help me?" "Good morning." "I've had enough." "Okay." "Come on." "It's time to go to bed." " Thank goodness." "It got a little better every day." "I told her all the jokes I heard." "Sometimes she smiled." "But it was hard to really laugh." "Hey Bonnie!" "Bonnie, this is Cees." "Cees, this is Bonnie." "You like your new shoes?" "You know each other?" "She's been in the shop." "Good bounce?" "Little boxer." "Boxing shoes." "Little lady boxer..." "D'you get chocolate sprinkles?" "Why?" "This came with the chocolate sprinkles." "5 - 4" "9 - 2 6 - 6" "Almost..." "Hang up now!" "Again..." "Now..." "Quick!" "See those gloves?" "They're for pesticide." "My father has gloves like that!" "Why does Puch need pesticide?" "She puts it in the milk." "How else does she get those murdered corpses?" "They didn't just turn up." "If you drink that stuff your innards burn away." "Your heart, liver, muscles and kidneys." "Your intestines and appendix... everything!" "You sink dead to the ground like a pudding!" "I'd missed Koos' stories." "He was glad someone listened to them." "Damn!" " What is it?" "My mother's home." "She doesn't want us to play together." "See you tomorrow." " Bye." "Don't worry, she's nuts." "We never mentioned it again." "I was glad we were friends again." "Just like my mother and Cees." "Cees came more often and Mum learned all about shoes." "Tell me, doctor..." "I didn't know what she saw in him, but she liked him." "So perfect..." "You should give them calfskin boots or snakeskin..." "I couldn't show I thought he was stupid, because I needed him for a brother, of course." "What are Pradas?" "Pradas..." "They're the convertible of shoes." "Open and elegant." "Sharply cut colourful material." "To get a brother, something had to happen." "You can stay the night." "Nice..." "That would be nice." "Can I share the joke?" " We were having a nice time." "Lovely." "Strawberries." "Well, it was nice." "I'll call you." " Yes..." "Thanks for dinner." "Thanks for doing the dishes." " Any time." "Okay, see you soon." "Yes!" "Great, Bonnie." "Is he dishy or is he dishy?" "I really like him." "I'm so happy." "You like him too, don't you?" "His eyes!" "A man who just does the dishes!" "Wonderful!" "Will we get a baby now?" "We'll make eight babies!" "Eight births!" "Look at these silly bows!" "I didn't worry about whether Cees would stick around." "My mother falls in and out of love quickly." "Just long enough for a baby." "Is it for you?" "I don't think it'd fit." " I mean, is it for your baby?" "Yes, for my baby." "We have a special offer..." "If you guess your baby's birthday, you win a Happy Baby Hamper." "Three days off, you win a Happy Baby Basic and two weeks, a Normal." "Shall I give you a form?" " Yes, great!" "A contest form." "I'll fill in the date." "And today's date is June 10." "Then let's make it June 10." "June 10?" "Yes, June 10 next year." "Of course." "Come and see..." "Bonnie's Mum has new pyjamas!" "Bonnie!" "Bonnie, I have new shoes!" "Cees is taking me out, but I don't know when I'll be back!" "Don't go to bed too late!" "All sit down, shut up and back to work!" "A camel!" "I'm Bonnie and this is Koos." "Did you bring that apple, Koos?" "Look, a juicy apple..." "You're not afraid, are you?" " No..." "Come on, you can stroke him." " I know." "Elephants smell danger miles away." "I wish I could." "But back home, I didn't smell a thing." " Hey Bonnie!" "Is your mother home?" "No..." "Would you like to have some brothers or sisters." "So what would you think of a foster home?" "They'll look after you properly." " My mum looks after me." "She's the best mum in the whole world." "I thought she was often sad." " No, you can have a good laugh." "Of course you want to stay with her." "You're not a baby." "Let's see how it goes." "It's different with babies." "We act faster." "My bag..." ""It's different with babies." "We act faster."" "That echoed in my mind." "I'll come and talk to your mother soon." "It took a while to sink in." "Jorien wanted to put me and my brothers in a foster home." "But I didn't want to leave my mother." "...a couple of little brothers." "My mother promised." "But Youth Care wants me in a foster home." "I don't want any brothers." "I want to stay with Mum." "What size are those shoes?" " 9 1/2." "Do big feet run in your family?" "If only!" "I don't have any family." "Nothing?" " Nothing at all." "No uncles or aunts?" "No nephews or nieces and no one who looks like me." "But you get used to it." "But one think you never get used to is not belonging anywhere." "It doesn't come easy." "You don't have to do anything for a family." "They're there and they love you." "My mother may not be the best, but she is the sweetest." "And I know for sure I never want to leave her." "So no brothers." "Mum?" "Why aren't you in bed?" " Will you tuck me in?" "Tomorrow." " I have something to tell you." "Bonnie..." "You heard me: tomorrow." "Go to bed... to sleep." "A lovely warm bed..." "A sharp point leading to this line." "A very refined..." "You see?" "A beautiful... delicious..." "Mum." " Yes?" "Can I go to the circus?" "I want to see the elephants." "Do we have to discuss it now?" " Yes or they'll be sold out." "Circus?" "I have tickets." "And Cees makes sure he gets the best seats." "Where are they?" "In my pocket." "Show me then." "Let's see." "I must have left them in the car." "Let's make a deal." "You, me and Mum go to the circus tomorrow if you promise to go to sleep now." "Where were we?" "There's a wasp in my room." "Wait, I'll sort that out." "Where is it?" "Where?" " There." "Oh no, there!" "There!" "Yes, sure, And if it's there..." " No there!" "Listen." "You have one more chance." "Where is it?" "There." " Right." "Got it." "Now go to bed." "Sleep tight." "Under the cover." "Look at me." "I don't want to hear you any more." "I'm so thirsty." "It's so cold." "It's so hot." " Bonnie, I've had enough." "I don't want to see you any more." "Go to bed!" "Get lost!" " Something's ticking in my bed..." "I think it's a bomb." " Sure!" "The Germanic tribes lived north of the Alps, east of the Rhine." "They used runes and made their own jewellery in the Bronze Age." "We can still see that in our museums." "The most important Germanic gods were..." "Who knows?" "Mees..." "Wodan and..." "What was the name of the other?" "Who knows?" "Bonnie, would you tell us?" "Danube?" "Vienna?" "The capital of Austria?" "Welcome to the history lesson, Bonnie!" "Nice to see you!" "Wodan and Donar were the two main Germanic gods." "First I wanted to make invent something, but the teacher was nice." "I said I wanted a brother, but not any more because Jorien disapproves and I didn't sleep at night to stop Mum having a baby." "That's quite clever of you." "But there are other ways not to have babies apart from staying awake." "Shall I go and talk to your Mum at lunchtime?" "Fine." "And you must get some sleep first." "Let's do that." "Hey darling." "What's all this?" "I won't ever let them take you away from me." "We'll always stay together." "We're not getting a baby?" " No." "You're the sweetest thing in the whole world." "We're not having a baby." "Babies aren't always fun." "You have to babysit, they piss and poop." "You know how to avoid having a baby?" " Yes." "I'm well informed." "You have to go to class, and I'll come and pick you up with Cees." "You promise?" "We were going to eat pizza." "Me a Marguerita, Mum a Mozzarella..." "I don't know about Cees." "An Americano or something." "Then the circus!" "Some things you know before you know." "For instance, I knew the pizza restaurant wouldn't work out." "But I had no idea about the rest." "Bye Cees." "Get lost!" " You're hysterical!" "And take your damn shoes with you!" " No, not your Pradas!" "Mind your own business." "Get lost!" "Asshole!" "Bye Cees!" " Get some professional help!" "You both belong in an asylum!" "You and your crazy mother." "Bye!" "Beat it, Cees." "I'll cuff him round the face." "Drives you mad." "He wanted "suitable sanctions"." "Who for?" " For you." "He shouldn't interfere with our upbringing." "What a sucker and always chattering about shoes." "Drives you potty." "I'm glad he's gone." "Are you, my sweetheart?" "What's the time?" "Damn!" "Good afternoon!" "Two tickets, the best please." "We're sold out." "Two ordinary tickets then." "We're all sold out." "You can't make an exception?" "No, sorry." "Of course you can make an exception." "There's only two of us." "Please!" "I have a child who wants to go to the circus and the tent's full!" "Please." "You said it: the tent's full." " Mum!" "What?" "He's a civil servant!" "I have an account to settle." "Let's try and stay civil." " Only two of us!" "Try and see it from my side." "I don't have any room." "If I let you in..." "I'm not listening." "Let us in and that's that." "You don't belong in a circus." "No sympathy with children..." "I thought: here we go again." "She's crazy now, but soon she'll spend weeks in bed." "And I'll be all alone again." "Bonnie." "Bon-bon!" "Why don't you just act normal!" "Bonnie..." "I have a surprise for you!" "Go away!" "Bonnie, you'll really like this!" "Bonnie, come and look!" "Bonnie, is was so easy!" "In this caravan I found a key ring with 100 keys." "I tried them all." "Bonnie, Grandma is really proud of us." "Look what I have for you!" "She didn't get anything to eat." "They didn't care about her!" "We'll put you in a meadow and you can run around." "Oh, isn't that tasty!" "Ready, Bonnie." " Yes!" "Here it comes!" "He's so thirsty!" "Lovely water." "Lovely water..." "Have a nice drink." "Bonnie." "That was Jorien." "From Youth Care." "She sounds nice." "You never mentioned her." "She's dropping round." "What?" "This is Bonnie." "Is Koos still up?" "Well. it's time for a nice scrub." "Old stinker!" " Quick, get him out!" "The elephant has to go!" " No, he's a present." "You can keep him!" "Are you from Youth Care?" "My mother bites me." "Who bites?" "Your mother?" "I know, we'll take him to the meadow." " What meadow?" "There's plenty of room in Koos' garden." "She won't approve." "My brother's ear is off too!" "My other brother's finger..." "Eaten!" "Show me." "Ketchup?" "No!" "Go on." "Mum, where are you going?" "Don't open the door." " It's best to be honest." "We don't have to say what we have in the garden." "Mum!" "Don't open the door!" "Too late, come and help me!" "Come on!" "Bonnie's in bed, Nice and early." "Routine is important for a child." "Would you like a drink?" " No thanks." "Are you sure you don't want a drink?" " No, no." "It took some getting used to after my mother died." "It really wasn't easy for us." "How are you now?" " Everything's all right." "Just fine." "That's the neighbours." "Really strange people." "Maybe you have a foster home for them?" "Nothing to drink?" "I have Coke, Fanta, sandwiches hot and cold, cocoa..." "Blackcurrant, orange, hot drinks, juice..." "Pineapple juice, Fanta..." "Coffee?" "Did she notice?" " I don't think so." "I'm not sure." "Bonnie's an easy child and I'm an easy mother." "Everything's going fine." "That was that." "Jorien would get her way." "But I wouldn't wait for that." "No foster home for me." "So I was going to run away." "An elephant in trouble does exactly what's good for him." "That's called instinct." "You wanted a family, didn't you?" "Elephants don't belong in back gardens." "But sometimes things are different." "It happened." "Let's forget about it." "That's easier said than done." "It might happen again." "Clean clothes and eating on time is important." "That's obvious." "But what it really comes down to is is that there's someone." "That you're not alone." "Try finding someone." "We have foster homes." " This is my aunt." "Aunt?" "Yes, didn't you know?" "Yes, I'm Bonnie's aunt..." "Yes, this is Aunt Puch..." " I'm her aunt." "It's great to have family!" "We don't look alike in my home." "Not on the outside." "But if you look carefully, you can see we're family."