The Prologue introduces us to Anton Steenwijk, a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his mother, father, and older brother on the outskirts of Haarlem in North Holland. He lives on a quay, which is a solid platform built alongside a body of water, like a wharf. His home is nestled among three other similarly-designed houses with quaint signs that announce more innocent times: “Hideaway,” “Carefree,” “Home at Last,” and “Bide-a-Wee.” Anton’s house is the one named “Carefree” (3).

Mr. Korteweg is the neighbor across the street from the Steenwijks, in Home at Last. “Formerly a second mate in the merchant marine” (3), Mr. Korteweg is now out of a job due to the war. Following the death of his wife, his daughter Karin moved in with him. Anton drops in on them sometimes, and while Karin treats him warmly, Mr. Korteweg pays no attention to him.

The Beumers—an ill retired lawyer and his wife—live in the house named “Hideaway.” The narrator intimates that Anton used to visit the Beumers “for a cup of tea and cake, in the days when there were still such things as tea and cake—that is to say, long before the beginning of this story, which is the story of an incident” (3).