Pieter and the Secret Ship
Birgit Awick
Graded Dutch Reader · A2/B1 · Band 1
Pieter en het Geheime Schip
Een complete verhaal · A2/B1 Dutch Learning Module
📖 About This Story
Pieter en het Geheime Schip
Level: A2/B1 Dutch Learning
Setting: Amsterdam, 17th century (Dutch Golden Age)
Main Characters:
- Pieter van der Meer – A 22-year-old warehouse worker
- Anneke – A baker with a bakery on Keizersgracht
- Mijnheer Schuyler – A wealthy merchant and smuggler
- Maarten – An old sailor with mysterious connections
- Hendrik Brouwer – A city official
- Lies – A flower seller at the market
Story Summary: Pieter discovers his boss is smuggling luxury goods. After witnessing illegal activity at midnight, he must decide whether to report the crime or stay silent. His choice sets him on an unexpected journey.
📚 Use the other tabs to explore vocabulary, test your comprehension, and analyze the story!
📚 Vocabulary Activities
Activity 1: Word Matching
Match the Dutch words with their English translations.
Activity 2: Fill in Words from the Story
Complete sentences using vocabulary from the story. Word bank: zout, voorbijgaan, geheime, bevreesd, vrijheid
Activity 3: Arrange Words in Correct Order
Put the words in the correct order to make sentences from the story.
1. Anneke / bakkerij / heeft / een / Keizersgracht / op / de
2. Amsterdam / Pieter / verlaat / voor / Suriname
3. Schuyler / gouden / horloge / mooie / een / en / kleren / heeft
Activity 4: Match Similar Words (Synonyms)
Match words that have similar meanings.
🎯 Reading Comprehension
Activity 3: True or False?
Decide if these statements are true (T) or false (F) based on the story.
Activity 4: Multiple Choice
Select the correct answer to each question.
1. What does Pieter see at the warehouse the first time?
2. Where does Pieter first meet Maarten?
3. What items are being smuggled?
4. Who is Hendrik Brouwer?
💭 Literary Analysis & Discussion
Activity 5: Essay Questions
Answer these questions in English or Dutch. There are no “right” answers – share your ideas!
💡 Tips: Use phrases like “I think…”, “It seems to me…”, “The author suggests…”. Write in complete sentences and support your ideas with examples from the text!
Activity 6: Character Analysis
What do you know about these characters? Fill in one word or phrase for each.
These are open-ended answers. Review with your teacher!
Story: Coming soon
Song
De Gouden Ster – Interactive Worksheet
Een lied voor Pieter van der Meer · A2/B1
📜 The Song Text
Couplet 1
De ochtend is nog donker en koud,
de bakkerij brandt licht in de straat.
Anneke staat met meel op haar hand,
ze zegt niets — en dat is genoeg.
The morning is still dark and cold,
the bakery glows in the street.
Anneke stands with flour on her hand,
she says nothing — and that is enough.
🎵 Refrein (Chorus)
De stad wordt klein, het water wijd,
ik draag jouw tulp in deze tijd.
Amsterdam verdwijnt in de mist,
maar ik weet wie ik ben en wat ik mis.
The city grows small, the water wide,
I carry your tulip through this time.
Amsterdam fades into the mist,
but I know who I am and what I miss.
Couplet 2
Maarten staat aan de reling en rookt,
zijn ogen hebben al veel gezien.
“Dan ga ik maar vast,” zei hij zacht,
en samen kijken we naar de zee.
Maarten stands at the railing and smokes,
his eyes have already seen so much.
“I might as well go first,” he said quietly,
and together we look out at the sea.
Couplet 3
Amsterdam wordt kleiner en kleiner,
de torens verdwijnen in de mist.
Ik voel de tulp in mijn borstzak —
Sur-i-na-me. Een nieuw begin.
Amsterdam grows smaller and smaller,
the towers disappear into the mist.
I feel the tulip in my breast pocket —
Sur-i-na-me. A new beginning.
✏️ Activities
Activity 1: Vocabulary Match
Match the Dutch words with their English translations.
Activity 2: True or False?
Decide if these statements are true (T) or false (F) based on the song.
Activity 3: Fill in the Missing Words
Complete the sentences with words from the song. Words: tulp, mist, zee, meel
Activity 4: Reading Comprehension
Answer these questions in English or Dutch.
These answers will not be automatically checked. Review them with your teacher.
