The people of the Huizen
The people of the Huizen
The people of the Huizen
The Radiant Milkmaid
Huizen was just a poor small village when a rich farmer arrived one day and decided to stay.
He bought the biggest farm there was and moved in with his horse and three cows−a level of wealth that was beyond most of the villagers’ wildest dreams.
Fresh Milk For Sale
When the newcomer put a sign on his fence offering Fresh Milk For Sale, Huizeners flocked to the farm.
But the outsider set the price so high that no one could afford even a small jug. Instead of lowering the price, the farmer preferred to throw his milk into the well; litres of nutritious milk went to waste while hungry Huizeners looked on enviously.
This routine continued until, one sunny summer day, the sky suddenly turned grey, and pitch-black clouds gathered over the house of the greedy dairy farmer.
Bubbling fountain of milk
Lightning and ear-piercing thunderclaps followed, sending the farmer into a blind panic as he fled his fields.
When the lightning cracked open the well, a young woman rose up out of the bubbling fountain of milk, surrounded by a golden halo. She glowered at the farmer, and he froze, terrified. His true punishment was yet to come: a second flash of lightning struck him right in the middle of his petty-minded little heart. He reeled for a moment until he collapsed and dropped down dead into the well.
The young woman took over the farm and carried her yoke and milk pails past her poor neighbours’ houses every day, delivering a daily serving of dairy.
Flounder Farmers
After a few months, everyone in the village had regained their strength−and the young woman disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived.
The Milkmaid lives on in Huizen’s crest. In its heyday, the town switched from farming to fishing. Villagers caught small flounder, and the Huizeners were known as ‘flounder farmers’. The catch was loaded onto wheelbarrows in the harbour, and children pushed them through the Gooi region to sell the fish.
The Mysterious Benefactor
Huizen was ultimately the victim of its own success. Overfishing meant the nets became emptier and emptier. After years of abundance, the villagers were soon starving again. And that’s when Huizen’s Milkmaid reappeared: young widows and poor families regularly found a little jug of milk on their doorstep in the mornings.
The mysterious benefactor was never seen, but many villagers spotted a golden halo lingering in the street after each generous delivery.
The people of the Huizen
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