A HAPPY MAN
In the little town of Dort in Holland, in the year 1672, there lived a really happy man. There
are very few really happy men in the world, but Cornelius Van Baerle was one of these very few.
Cornelius began life as a doctor, but when his father died he gave up that work.
Van Baerle's father had gained a lot of money as a trader. When he was near death he said to his
son, Cornelius, "Be happy. Working all day in an office is not a happy life. Do not be like me,
a trader. Do not be like Cornelius De Witte, a politician, for he will certainly end in trouble.
Live quietly and, above all, be happy."
So Cornelius Van Baerle remained in the large house. He did not know how to pass the time, so he
began grow tulips. At this time people were very interested in the growing of tulips and great
prizes were offered to anyone who could grow some new kind-- a tulip of some new shape or new
colour. Van Baerle grew three new kinds of tulip: he called them Jane (after his mother), Van
Baerle (after his father), and Cornelius (after Cornelius De Witte, his father's friend).
In the next house to Van Barle lived a man named Isaac Boxtel. He also was a tulip grower, but he
was not rich. He worked very hard-- and he hated Van Baerle. He was afraid that this rich man might
grow better tulips than his own. He looked over into the window of Van Baerle's house and see him
working with his seeds and bulbs. (Tulips are grown from bulbs.) When he saw Van Baerle's garden
filled with the most beautiful flowers, he tied two cats together and dropped them over the wall
at night. The cats broke down all the flowers.
Van Baerle then put a watchman in the garden to guard his flowers against cats (for he did not know
that Boxtel had put the cats there).
Just at this time a prize was offered to anyone who could grow a black tulip without any other
colour on it at all. The prize offered was one hundred thousand guilders.
Van Baerle set to work. He grew deep red tulips. Then, from these dark red tulips, he got brown
tulips. Next year he had very dark brown tulips.
Boxtel had, up to this time, only got tulips of a light brown colour. He was very angry. He was so
angry that he could not work. He could do nothing but watch Van Baerle. He sat at his telescope
and looked at Van Baerle working with his bulbs and seeds so as to mix one kind to tulip with
another. The more Boxtel watched Van Baerle, the more he hated him.
And just at this time Cornelius De witte arrived in the town.
SECRET PAPERS
Cornelius De Witte reached Van Baerle's house one evening in the month of January, 1672. He looked
at the whole house; he saw everything. Then he siad, "I wish to be alone with you for a few
minutes."
"Come to my seed room," said Van Baerle.
All this time Boxtel was watching everything through his telescope.
Van Baerle took a lamp and led De Witte to the seed room. Here was a large box in which the seeds
and bulbs were kept.-- Boxtel watched through his telescope more carefully than ever! He saw the
light come into the room. He saw De Witte and knew who he was (for Cornelius De Witte was well
known as a leader of the government）.
De Witte said a few words to Van Baerle. Boxtel could not tell what those words were. Then De Witte
gave the papers to Van Baerle. It was clear that the papers were written about matters of govern-
ment. But why (thought Boxtel) were government papers given to Van Baerle who was not interested
in public matters at all?
Boxtel knew that the public did not like Cornelius De Witte. Every month they hated him more.
Perhaps those papers were some secret of government which De Witte did not wish to have known.
Van Baerle took the papers and put them in a box with his bulbs. De Witte then said something; he
shook Van Baerle's hand. They went out of the room. Soon afterwards De Witte went out into the
street.
Boxtel was right in his thoughts. The papers which De Witte gave to Van Baerle were letters to the
King of France.--But De Witte was careful not to tell his friend what was in the papers. He only
asked him to keep them carefully and not to give them up to anyone except himself or a person whom
he might send.
Van Baerle put the papers away in the box and thought no more about them.