The wig was pushed to one side—very far to one side.
The wig went back again to the extreme right.
The wig protested, with some impressive movements, against all such bovine relationships.
“WIG PUSHED DOWN TO THE BACK OF HIS NECK.” ]
“H’m—could that be what these new-fangled writers call _humour?_”
The wig was drawn forward to Dominie Pennewip’s eyebrows, which denotes doubt.[12]
“I must take that boy in hand one of these days.”
The wig came to anchor on the zenith, by way of expressing its satisfaction at the Dominie’s intention of taking Butcher’s Keesje seriously in hand.
“Religion’s a good thing indeed, Of which all people have great need.”
“The fundamental idea is correct and beautiful,” said Pennewip, “but it ought to have been further developed.”
“The path of virtue she does show,— Who would not gladly with her go? And at odd moments, as is fit, She teaches us to darn and knit.”
The wig gave a leap of joy, and its curls embraced one another. The master could not refrain from calling his wife to share in the enjoyment of Truitje Gier’s effusion, which was pasted on a piece of cardboard, and hung up above the mantelpiece in honour both of the poetess and her subject....
“Friendship is a good thing indeed, Of which all people have great need.”
The wig did not appear quite satisfied. Lucas de Wilde’s “Religion” was brought to light, and placed for comparison beside Louwtje’s “Friendship.”
“H’m ... well ... it might be possible. Instances do occur of the same idea springing up simultaneously in two different minds.... It might ... or could ... be so....”
“Angling is a good thing indeed, Of which all people have great need.”
The wig was in perpetual motion; it seemed as though it too were taking part in the angling operations.
Master Pennewip hastily turned over the papers he had not yet examined, sorted out the productions of the whole Wilde family, and ... yes, indeed! Mietje de Wilde, Kees de Wilde, Piet and Jan de Wilde, declared, with touching unanimity, that religion, friendship, fishing, dreaming, cauliflower, and conjuring are good things indeed, of which all people have great need. It was an overwhelming flood of good things and human need!
What was an honest wig to do? It did the best thing that could be done under the circumstances, and more cannot be required of any one. After perceiving the fruitlessness of its efforts to find out any difference between fishing and friendship, conjuring and dreaming, cauliflower and religion, it behaved as though the matter did not concern it in the least, and assumed a neutral position, with an air, on the part of its little curls, of looking forward with interest to the sequel—as the reader is no doubt doing.