Part 2, Survival: Chapters 5-10 Summary

Chapter 5. Saskia, the miller's daughter, is playing with her girlfriend when they discuss her father. Saskia gets the idea that if her father cut his hair and shaved, he might attract a new wife. That night, when the miller comes home from drinking, Saskia and her girlfriend, Dagmar, shave him and cut his hair. After Dagmar leaves, Saskia worries that the haircut is not even and attempts to fix it. Instead, Saskia accidentally cuts her father's cheek.

Chapter 6. When Saskia's father wakes the following day, he believes he has been the victim of a bad joke. The miller becomes depressed and refuses to get out of bed. A month passes and miller remains in bed. The mill closes and all their employees abandon them. Saskia finds herself forced to sell herbs and vegetables from her own garden...