22nd January 1937

22nd January 1936

[postmarked 1937 - a common error on correspondence written at the beginning of the year]

Leutstetten to 27 Queen Square, Bath

Dear Madeleine!

Thank you very much for your letter. I think I should have written already a long time ago but I was too lazy and in the holidays we had a guest and never much time. Now I have been ill for a week lying in bed with grippe but I am quite well ever since three days.

As we have not much room in our house, a cousin of us who was here in the holidays had to sleep with me and Rasso who generally sleeps with me, with Mammi and Papi. Naturally we talk along time in the evenings and it was usually after 12, when we stopped – Baron Banffy, a student friend of Ludwig was sleeping in my governesses room. You can imagine that we had a lot of fun like that. Once we made a long walk over the moors on a cold day and the ground quite frozen, otherwise it would have been impossible to pass without sinking into the marsh. It was very amusing as we were always afraid of breaking the ice and sink down. In the middle of the moor there was a rather broad brook which was not frozen yet and so we had to jump over it. Naturally Ludwig and Baron B passed easily but Loll the first of us tried to jump with the aid of BB and fell into it into the knee. Then our cousin Thereschen and Deidi jumped and passed well being held on both hands by the boys. Then came my turn and I jumped and got over but unfortunately I slipped upon my knees and L gave me such a push that I got my foot into the water. But I did not get very much water into my shoe. At last Muck joined us and we continued our walk. I think it must have been awfully funny to see all without being obliged to jump over. We learned Bar. B skating and then the second day he had already to play with us ice-hockey. One evening, the last Thereschen was here we made a

punch, and danced and played murder in the dark and then played in the dark and again danced etc until it was passed midnight and nanny told us to go to bed. It was much fun. My governess was ill too and came only Sundays after the end of the birthdays. I was very content at that, naturally. The others are going out as one says in German. Yesterday there was a tea party and they seemed to enjoy it very much. They danced a lot and at 7 o’clock they came to fetch me at our uncles because where I waited and we went together to see Siegfried of Wagner. It was very beautiful indeed and I liked it very much. In the holidays we had seen Madam Butterfly which was very good too.

I’ll have to stop now as we are going to supper. I hope my English is not too bad. I wrote this in haste.

Yours very truly

Baby

Kind remembrances to your mother and Mary