De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren

De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak "De zeven eieren"
Series 1, Book 1 →
FrontBack
Written by	Herman van Veen
Artwork by	Hans Bacher Harald Siepermann
Cover design by	Teo van Gerwen
Typesetting and layout	M & P Tekst bv. Weert
Publisher	Uitgeverij van Reemst M & P bv
Release date	1989
Number of pages	30
Binding method	Hardcover
ISBN	90 359 0105 3

"De Zeven Eieren" (lit. 'The Seven Eggs') is the first book released in a series of children's books called De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak (lit. The wonderful adventures of Alfred J. Kwak) released in 3 series from 1989 to 1991. The text of the "De Zeven Eieren" is taken mostly from De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen, which was released in the same year. "Goedemorgen" was in turn a retelling of the story of the first episode of the Alfrd J. Kwak animated series. This book is accompanied with cels from the production. This is book 1 of series 1.

Story

Summary

Henk de Mol emerges from his molehill in the pastures of Breed Rietland. Checking the time, he remarks that Johan Sebastiaan Kwak is late for their meeting again. Meanwhile, Johan rushes to meet Henk, after having awoken from a dream about icecream with chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream. He crosses the road without looking left or right and nearly gets run over by a crocodile in a big limosine. He finds Henk, apologizes about his tardiness and tells Henk about the dream he had.

The two decide to use Johan's clog to drift over the river to the Plaspoelpolder. Henk asks when Johan is going to get married. Johan thinks he's still too young, but just as he says that he hears singing from in the distance and Johan starts swooning. Johan paddles to the shore and finds Anna van de Polder under a tree picking daisies. Henk introduces Johan to Anna, and Johan, overwhelmed with nerves, struggles to speak coherently. Before long both of them are sitting affectionately beneath a tree. Filled with love, Johan walks into the pastures, and starts writing poetry in his head. Unbeknownst to him, two heron surveyors, Stip and Stap, begin measuring the pasture around him.

The next morning, Johan wakes up hears Anna's voice in the distance. He heads toward her but quickly returns to the river to clean himself and brush his teeth. As he approaches Anna, he sees another duck has engages her in conversation. Soon after, a second duck on a motorcycle arrives. Both ducks start arguing over Anna's affection, which leads to a brawl between them. Anna walks away from the scene, and Johan approaches her, offering her a flower. In return, Anna kisses him. Elated, Johan asks Anna for a walk. They talk until late in the night. Johan then gets on one knee and proposes to Anna. Anna says yes and not too long after on a Wednesday afternoon, they get married.

Henk later comes over on a maternity visit to see Johan and Anna’s clog filled with seven eggs. Meanwhile, Rap de Kiekedief spies on them through binoculars.

In the office of the Beton Maatschappij, Olaf Nijlpaard, manager of Groot Speelgoedland shows K. Rokodil, the mayor of Waterslag aan Zee in Groot Waterland, a miniature model created by Stip and Stap, who are present alongside Bart 'Beton' Bever, the construction supervisor and director of the Beton Maatschappij. K. Rokodil has come to Breed Rietland because he's interested in Nijlpaard's themepark plans as an investor. Nijlpaard plans to build the theme park right on top of the pasture where Johan and Anna live.

Johan paces nervously, waiting for the eggs to hatch. Anna asks Johan to watch the eggs while she does some groceries. Then, Schor de Kraai and his wife judge the eggs, loudly proclaiming they will likely spoil before hatching. Angered, Johan takes back the egg Schor is holding. At that moment, Rap, disguised as a bush, sneaks in and steals an egg. Johan chases after Rap, who bumps into Henk, causing the egg to soar into the air. The egg bounces off the tennis racket of one of the brawling ducks, onto the roof of K. Rokodil and Olaf Nijlpaard's car and lands in the water, where Snel de Snoek swallows it whole. Johan pulls him out of the water and forces him to spit the egg out.

Johan, Anna and Henk look at how their homeland is being destroyed.

As Henk scolds Rap, Johan returns to receive a scolding from Anna. Johan confidently reassures her that the egg is safe, but when he shows her, only pieces of the shell remain. Henk then soon spots a duckling nearby and Johan and Anna run to help the duckling back home. Henk suggests naming him after his grandfather, Alfred de Mol, who also ran away when he was young. Anna adds Jodocus to his name. Just as they make the decision, Alfred’s other brothers and sisters hatch.

As the ducklings are getting named, Alfred gets distracted and escapes from the clog. Rap sets his sights on Alfred and begins stalking him, but Johan catches on and intervenes, beating Rap up.

Alfred is returned to his family, but suddenly, the clog and the ground around them begin to rise, lifted by a giant excavator. The neighborhood is filled with construction machinery tearing up the land. Henk, Anna, Johan and their children cannot possibly stay living here. They decide to emigrate to Groot Waterland.

Continuity

This book retells the story of Episode 1 of the animated series. Please check that page for more info.

• Johan Sebastiaan Kwak's character, like his son, has a significant connection to dreams.

Errata

• This version of the story of the first episode of the animated series mistakes A. Rokodil for his son K. Rokodil. K. Rokodil's occupation of being mayor of Waterslag aan Zee in Groot Waterland even carries over here.

Cast

Character gallery

The characters in order of appearance.

• 
  Henk de Mol
• 
  Johan Sebastiaan Kwak
• 
  Anna van de Polder
• 
  Woerd
• 
  Stip
• 
  Stap
• 
  Tennis player
• 
  Motor cyclist
• 
  Rap de Kiekendief
• 
  Olaf Nijlpaard
• 
  K. Rokodil
• 
  Bart 'Beton' Bever
• 
  Schor de Kraai
• 
  Schor's wife
• 
  Snel de Snoek
• 
  Alfred Jodocus Kwak
• 
  Alfred de Mol (mentioned)
• 
  Alfred's brothers and sisters

Main staff list

© 1989 Harlekijn/Van Veen/Bacher & Siepermann
Exclusive license given by Benelux Licensing Group/Telecable
© 1989 text songs Harlekijn Holland bv
For this release © 1989 Uitgeverij M & P bv
Postbus 566, 6000 AL Weert

Cover design: Teo van Gerwen
Cover illustration: Hans Bacher, Harald Siepermann and Daan Jippes
Text: Herman van Veen with illustrations by Hans Bacher and Harald Siepermann
Typesetting and layout': M & P Tekst bv, Weert

ISBN: 90 359 0105 3
CIP
NUGI 223
Printed in Italy by Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri S.pA., Milan

Anna van de Polder and Johan Sebastiaan Kwak almost kiss. The end of the background artwork can be seen on the bottom of this picture.

Production notes

The 13 cels used for the artwork on the inside of the book are all cropped to fit the frame of the book. On some of them the end of the artwork, especially for the background, can be seen. The cel on page 13 is for sale at Harlekijn Holland.

Changes from the original

Changes from the episode

The following lists all the changes between the original episode from the animated series and this book.

• Johan's reason for being late was never expanded on in the original episode, but the book explains that he was dreaming of icecream with chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream.
• Johan and Henk take Johan's clog for a boattrip on the river to the Plaspoelpolder in the book, while in the series they are just relaxing in it under a tree.
• Henk de Mol introduces Anne van de Polder as being the daughter of a duck called Woerd (lit. Drake). But according to the episods, her father's name is Jan van de Polder.
• When Johan is infatuated with the singing of a female duck, Henk laughs at him in the book, but in the series he doesn't.
• The moment Anna and Johan get together is changed in the book. "De zeven eieren" depicts Johan and Anna getting together almost immediately, as they are already shown sitting affectionately beneath a tree. Following this, Johan, filled with love, walks into the pastures, where he encounters Stip and Stap, while it takes a little longer in the episode.
• A. Rokodil is replaced by his son K. Rokodil. While he's still depicted as an investor, this character is also the mayor of Waterslag aan Zee in Groot Waterland like in the series.
• Instead of having to go to the bathroom, Anna leaves Johan in custody of the eggs because she's going to do groceries.
• When Alfred escapes and is being stalked by Rap de Kiekendief it's not Henk who saves him, but Johan.

Changes from the "Goedemorgen" boek

Anna van de Polder and Johan Sebastiaan Kwak in a cel chronologically out of order

While this book takes most of its text from De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen, several passages are missing or are changed.

• Several sections of the text have been shortened or modified to make it more concise and accessible for a younger audience.
• The introduction of Breed Rietland, including the jetplane flying over, is omitted from "De zeven eieren".
• Johan Sebastiaan Kwak reprimands Henk de Mol for laughing at his reaction to the sound of a female duck singing. In the "Goedemorgen" book, Johan refers to it as "gegrinnik" (snickering), while in "De zeven eieren," he describes it as "gehinnik" (whinnying or neighing like a horse). Both terms are grammatically correct, but it is unclear if this variation was intentional or an error.
• "Goedemorgen" has Anna refer to the flowers she's picking as daisies, however the artwork depicts pink flowers. "De zeven eieren" corrects this and refers to white and pink flowers as they are depicted in the cel artwork.
• The sequence of events in "Goedemorgen" aligns more closely with that of the series. In contrast, "De zeven eieren" depicts Johan and Anna getting together almost immediately, as they are already shown sitting affectionately beneath a tree. Following this, Johan, filled with love, walks into the pastures, where he encounters Stip and Stap. Because of this change, one of the pictures is this book is chronologically in the wrong place.
• In "Goedemorgen" the tennis-obsessed duck is smoking a cigarette. "De zeven eieren" follows the series more closely and omits the cigarette. Olaf Nijlpaard and Bart 'Beton' Bever are later also seen with a cigar in "Goedemorgen".
• "Goedemorgen" adds the lyrics and music sheet to Nog Nooit (I Have Never), which are missing from "De zeven eieren".
• The discussion between K. Rokodil and Olaf Nijlpaard regarding the plans for Groot Speelgoedland in the office of the Beton Maatschappij is significantly longer in "Goedemorgen".
• In "Goedemorgen" Henk visits Johan and Anna twice while they are waiting for their eggs to hatch, but only once in "De zeven eieren".
• "De zeven eieren" ends as night falls on the first day of construction of Groot Speelgoedland and Henk, Johan and Anna decide to emigrate to Groot Waterland similar to Episode 1.