It was a magnificent organ: gold and white and carved with angels and flowers, and it made lovely music, but the face of Hans the Organ Man was sour and sad. He seemed to hate everyone. Gerrit and Alexander (who was most important even if he was a "grumbly dog") thought the Organ Man looked like a cross Uncle, Oom Hans—and pretty soon Oom Hans he was indeed, for better or for worse and all unknowing, an adopted uncle to Gerrit.

All this happened a long time ago when Queen Wilhelmina was a little girl sitting stiff in a carriage and smiling as a princess must smile, with a bunch of red roses in her hand, and everybody cried "Hurrah for the House of Orange." And in the end Gerrit and Alexander found Saskia, and Grandfather was able to put up the sign over his shop: "Willem Manks, Court Physician of Toys."

Grandfather knew about many things: friendship and children, and why the two are inseparable. No wonder Mr. van Marle from his shining carriage and Grandfather from his cellar workshop could shake hands and smile into each other's face. They knew that Gerrit and Saskia would grow up to meet the world as the Dutch always have: sturdy and independent, with the true democracy of the heart.

From the dust jacket