In this St. Elisabeth flood, the rich territory was lost, villages were swept away and dozens of people dragged into the waves; only Dordrecht, lying on an island, was spared.
In one of those desolate nights after the disaster, when the sea had receded satisfactorily, and the few survivors tried to save anything, the legend was born ...
The exhausted men, who took a moment to take a sip of the meager drinking water, saw something floating over the waves before their dull eyes.
It was a cradle, with a peacefully sleeping baby in it, balanced by a cat, who jumped from side to side.
The child, a girl, was carefully taken to the shore and taken to Dordrecht, where she was lovingly taken in by an unknown family.
It was named Beatrice, which means 'the lucky one', because in those disastrous times she became a symbol of life, which always proves to be stronger and because she brought hope and happiness to sad hearts.
Nobody knew where the little girl came from, her only possession was a red coral necklace with a golden cross.
Later she became the ancestor of a distinguished Dordrecht family.
In memory of that wonderful rescue, the dyke is called 'Kinderdijk' from that day on.
5 photos.
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