Visscherswraak

Summary

Minna, who has come to the village of Volendam from a strange hamlet, resents the sarcasm and sly glances of her neighbours, who find her unfamiliar costume a subject for mirth. But the main reason for their animosity lies in the fact that Minna has carried off Klaas, the handsomest fisher in the place, in spite of the charms of the local girls. The Volendam girls tell Klaas that Minna is unworthy of him, and the young man believes them. He breaks off his engagement, and at the next feast in the public room of the one inn, Minna sees that he has quickly consoled himself. She lets old Fisher Willinck make love to her. She resolves that Willinck's fancy for her shall be turned to good account. The next week she makes another effort to regain Klaas' affection. She fails, and falls back upon her plan to arouse Willinck's jealousy by leading him to believe that Klaas still loves her. The old fisher broods over this, and when the boats next set sail, he determines that Klaas shall never return. He tracks him out on the Zuyder Zee, and when Klaas' boat becomes isolated from the rest of the fishing fleet, he runs him down in the dead of night. Klaas, rushing on deck, finds his craft totally disabled. He calls to the departing boat for help, but Willinck sails away, as the waters of the Zuyder Zee close over the sinking vessel and the doomed man.