The wondrous adventures of John without fear

In the time, when John ruled without fear over Flanders and Burgundy, there lived in the "Krabbenstraat -the actual address of Charming suites Jan Zonder Vrees"" in Antwerp, an old woman named Mother Neeltje, with Her grandson Jan. In What number it was right, however, I cannot say, because at the time one painted no numbers on the houses.

Jan was a guy of over eighteen years and was known as the most formidable street boy that walked under the sun. In that time only the clergy, the nobles and the wealthy citizens were able to read and write, Jan was as illiterate as the other children of the working class. However, he didn't bother, because he had a need for it. That does not mean, however, that he was dumb – on the contrary – he possessed a clear head and was in everything extremely near hand. A more Life-Loving boy was not found inside the walls of Antwerp. Furthermore, he was head and neck longer than the greatest of his comrades, stronger than a ox, and a fighter, who was flinging for nothing. The neighbours welcomed him as ' unflinchingly Jan ' or ' strong Jan '. His mates, however, who had heard of the great deeds of the Burgundischen Duke, who would later put the whole of France on fire, his mates, I say, never called him other than John without fear (Jan zonder vrees). That name bore our hero with the same right as the son of Philip the Bold, for he feared neither man nor beast, neither Hell nor devil!

Read the sequel to the Book of C. de Kinder 1936