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Jingard, Joan: The Twelfth Day of July

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The book „The Twelfth day of July“ takes place in Ireland in the streets of

Belfast. There are two groups with different religions. The Protestants and

the Catholics. In the Protestant area there is a mural, which is the pride

of the street. It is the picture of William of Orange called King Billy and

his famous horse on the wall with the inscription „No surrender“ It

commemorates the battle of Boyne, which was fought in 1690. William of

Orange, a protestant defeated the Catholics under the command of James II.

Every Protestant child knows the story because the religious education is

very strict in both areas. The tale of the siege of Derry is important for

that conflict. Thirteen young apprentice boys closed the gates of Derry

against the Catholic soldiers. James II confident that the city must

surrender, went to the walls of Derry himself to demand it, but the

Protestant citizens lined the walls and shouted: “No surrender“. So the

Protestants celebrate that victory on the 12th of July every year. They

decorate the streets, wear costumes and march through the streets.

Steve, Linda, Sadie and Tommy are very good friends who live in the

Protestant area. They love their town and they look forward to the twelfth

of July. Not far from the Protestants live the McCoys, a Catholic family

with seven children. They hate the celebrations. Both of these two families

also dislike the other religion. Many times the children play tricks or

provoke each other. One day Brede, Kate and Kevin who are Catholic friends

paint „Down with King Billy“ under the mural in the Protestant area and so

the fight begins. After that evening the Prods know that they take revenge

on the Catholics. In the morning the McCoys get a telegram from the hospital

in Tyron that their grandmother is very sick. So their parents drive to her

aunt and the seven children must live alone in the house. On the other side,

in the Protestant area Sadie has a plan. When dusk begins to fall she goes

in the catholic district and takes paint and brushes with her. She is sure

that there is no one who can see her. Sadie obliterated the words „The Pope

„ to substitute for the word „King Billy“. After some minutes she wants to

get back to her quarter. Suddenly Brede and a Catholic stand at a distance

of some metres beside her. Sadie tries to run away but doesn’t know that her

shoelaces are opened and so she falls on the ground . Brede catches Sadie

and brings her to Kevin. They let Sadie go back to her home but she must

clean the wall by rights. In the Prod’s area the anticipation is very big

because the 12th comes nearer and nearer. Every child works to get money to

buy the decoration for the glorious twelfth but Sadie also starts working

on a new trick. At night she goes to the McCoys house and printed these

words on the table: “King Billy is here, long live King Billy“. Kevin stands

still in the doorway and observes Sadie. Sadie sees him timely and runs

away. She hides under a wall because she can’t get home. Kevin and other

guards look at her the whole night with their torches. At home they don’t

know where Sadie is. Tommy and his friends look for Sadie but there is no

sign of her. Tommy believes that she was going to Kevin. He says that he

hasn’t seen her but Brede tells that she was here last night and messed the

kitchen.

Kevin says, they don’t know where she is now. Then Brede and Kevin search

Sadie and find her in an old house . She must clean the kitchen table and

then she can go home. When they bring Sadie home two policemen and Sadie’s

family come and catch them. Sadie says that the Catholics kidnapped her, but

Kevin shouts that he hasn’t done anything. So the quarrel begins. The

policeman wants to clear this situation but without success. On the next day

there is bonefire night. All the Protestant children celebrate a party,

dance round the fire and sing songs.

Brian, Kate, Tommy and Sadie go to the boundary and scream swearwords into

the other area.

Many Protestant children come quick from every direction and throw with

large stones. Suddenly a stone falls high over the heads and it catches

Brede full of the side on her head. Brede is hurt. Sadie kneels beside her

and the ambulance comes. They put Brede on a stretcher. The ambulance also

takes Kevin, Tommy and Sadie with them. In the hospital waiting room Kevin

excuses for his behaviour. In the morning the doctor says that Brede gets

healthy. On the following day there is the twelfth of July. Sadie won’t keep

it with her family. She goes to Kevin and they walk around the beach and

have fun. They are friends now and from that time on there are no problems

between their families.