Chapters 7-8 Summary

Aunt Pie, Father's sister-in-law, arrives at the Klopper home, looking as if she had been crying. She announces to the family that she has been hit by her husband, Benno, for wearing slacks. She asks Father to intervene, because he is Benno's older brother. But Father tells her that "God has ordained" that women should wear dresses and that men should wear trousers. Aunt Pie notices the bump on Mother's nose and asks her about it. Then she realizes that Father also beats Thomas's mother. Aunt Pie leaves, but first tells Father that he is "as big a coward as your brother."

On his next visit with Mrs. van Amersfoort, she asks Thomas how he liked the frogs. He realizes then that she is "a powerful witch." She also asks Thomas to read some children's poems out loud to her and...