Ot en Sien facts for kids
Ot en Sien (which means Ot and Sien) are two children from a series of stories. These stories were written in the Dutch language over a hundred years ago. Ot (short for “Otto”) is a little boy. Sien (pronounced like the English word “seen”) is the little girl who lives next door. Her name might be short for “Francine”. Even though these books are now very old-fashioned, they are still popular in Holland. The stories were written in rhyme and had many colourful pictures.
Contents
The Creators Behind the Stories
The author who wrote these stories was Hendricus Scheepstra. The ideas for the stories came from Jan Ligthart. Cornelis Jetses was the artist who drew all the wonderful illustrations. Together, they created a world that many Dutch children loved.
Where Do Ot and Sien Live?
The stories take place in Drenthe. This is a part of the Netherlands located in the northeast. Drenthe used to be a very poor area. However, Ot and Sien live in a nice house. They are quite well-off. You often see them playing in their garden. They have many toys. These include a wooden horse on wheels and a doll in a dolly’s pushchair. Their cat often appears in the pictures too. Sometimes, you also see them at school.
Why Were These Stories Written?
The authors wrote these stories to show a happy family life. Everyone in the books is very friendly. Even strangers help Ot and Sien if they get lost in the street. The family also has a servant who helps with chores around the house. The stories teach about kindness and community.
Still Popular Today?
Children in the Netherlands widely read these stories in schools. This continued until after the Second World War. By then, the books had become very old-fashioned. The daily life of Ot and Sien seemed to belong to a time long ago. For example, hardly any Dutch children today live in a family with a servant. Also, no Dutch child now goes for a walk dressed in a sailor’s costume. And fathers no longer wear cloaks and hats like in the books.
The books are not read in schools anymore. But they are still popular with Dutch people at home. In 2004, a special exhibition about Ot and Sien was held. This was one hundred years after the first book was written.
Ot and Sien in Real Life
There is a statue of Ot and Sien in The Hague. It was made in 1930. This shows how important these characters were to Dutch culture.
Dutch Sayings About Ot and Sien
In the Dutch language, there are some common sayings that mention Ot and Sien.
- Als Ot en Sien, which means Like Ot and Sien. This saying describes something done in a simple, child-like way.
- Uit de tijd van Ot en Sien, meaning from the time of Ot and Sien. This phrase means “a long time ago”. It is like the English saying “in the good old days”.
Images for kids
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A peat and sod dwelling
