Saartjie 1: Saartjie | Children's Fiction
Bettie Naudé
Human & Rousseau
We meet Saartjie Baumann, the girl with the long legs, snub nose, dimples in her cheeks and impish sparkle in her eyes. This tomboy and her two friends call themselves The Three Mosquitoes and the only people who can spoil their fun are boys and a little rascal called Midge.
Saartjie organises a concert to raise money for charity and writes her own play but things turn out slightly different from what she had planned. A few days later she and her mates slip into a mysterious old house where a recluse died years ago and they discover a skeleton and an iron trunk.
As soon as they recover from this adventure Saartjie decides to go and get some honey from a beehive. The girls get away with only a few stings but the chickens on a nearby smallholding are not as lucky! The last day in primary school Saartjie mimics some of the teachers to everyone’s delight and then she has to take part in a debate against a boy. One thing is for sure – this girl keeps herself busy!