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Another translation from the original Dutch, this time from Rick.  The translation is as close to his original story as I could get it.  As always, the story is Rick’s and he is accorded full credit for it.  Theobald

At last her mother told her that she could now have her hair cut. Her hair was down to her shoulders and her mother thought that a little could be cut off. She'd never been to the hairdresser alone, she was fifteen years old now and she no longer needed to go with her mother to have a haircut. (Mother always went to a ladies salon in the neighborhood).

“Now go there this afternoon, I will give you money." Her mother said.

A half hour later she walked into her mother’s salon.

It was extremely busy and the stylists, including the owner, were all flat out busy. She asked if she could have a haircut and the owner said that it would not be a problem but it would take a while, she asked her to sit down.

Moments later the hairdresser came to her and said: “It is really only a cut that you want, nothing else?"

“No, only a cut thanks."

“Ok then, perhaps I have a different solution, then you will not have to wait that long." She opened a door and went through. “Bart, I have a girl here who just needs a cut. We are full up and have more waiting, could you perhaps help out, as I said, its only a cut."

“Of course". Bart said. It appears that next to the women's salon there was a men's barber where Bart was on charge.

“Come along", said the barber, “I can take you straight away". She was hesitant but went along.

“So", said the barber, “you want a haircut, sit a minute and we can work out exactly what we to do with you".

She was a bit scared but then she remembered that when she little she often went with her father to a barber to have his hair cut, and girls up to ten, if they were still in elementary school almost always got their hair cut by a barber. Anyway, she went to the big barber chair, sat in it and the barber pumped it up a little, he then placed the cape around her neck.

“So", he said, “you have not been here for a while. No, indeed, I heard that

From my colleague next door".

He said nothing further, combed her shoulder length hair, took up the scissors, and before she realized it, actually put the sharp scissors on her left cheek near the bottom of the ear and cut the first strand of her thick hair, immediately followed by the next. She was shocked, she did not want her hair cut so short.  This was too short, much too short. She tried to stop the barber but it was too late, there was no way to fix what had been done.

“Oh", the barber said, “I understood that you wanted to have a really short style.  My colleague said she had a young lady who wants her hair cut off and I

understood that it was sort of long hair that you wanted nice and short. Usually when a girl comes from next door, or even a lady come here it means that they want a short haircut, and of course we are qualified to give just such a cut. Many women who really want a short style are sent here. In your case we have something of a misunderstanding, but yes, now there is little we can do. By the way, in the window is a sign that reads: ‘We also do women - short styles’. Then girls or ladies come straight in here. Many women and girls with short hair, or a short hairstyle do not bother to go to a hairdresser but come to a barber because they do not want a wash, set or blow wave. We only need to use the scissors, our styles are smooth and well cut and are a lot cheaper than a hairdresser.  Our customers are generally very happy".

“I personally think it is always nice when someone who has semi long or even long hair comes here to cut it off and she has a metamorphosis so that she hardly recognize themselves anymore. I have a lot of the ladies who have had long hair cut off and who then return regularly for a trim to keep it short.  It is often the case that women and girls have short hair and then want to grow it out again. They sometimes go four, five months or longer without going to the hairdresser and despite all their plans grow their hair long, they cannot stick to it. So you see, the time to go from short hair to long hair takes a long time and their in-between styles are never good or how they would like it. They come in here and when I ask whether they would like to go short again they responded a little hesitantly, but mostly it is back to the scissors or sometimes even the clippers and they soon feel comfortable again."

 “Well," said the girl, “I cannot do anything about it now.  I think maybe it might even be fun for once to have really short hair."

While the barber talked on he doggedly cut, and more and always more hair fell victim to his scissors.  The barber had meanwhile cut the hair around her head and took a clipper of the hook and, without so much as a word, he approached her from behind her neck and shaved her halfway up her head. She had never felt a clipper before, well, maybe once long ago, but now it really felt good as those clippers ate through your hair. Long locks and strands of hair were lying on the floor around the chair and on the white cape, and in the mirror she saw an entire makeover.

When she had settled up with the barber and started for home she could not resist running her hand through the shaved hair on the back of her head, it was a great feeling, and in all windows where she saw herself reflected she looked to see if she could recognized herself with the short tight hairstyle.  When she got home her mother was surprised and really happy that she had cut her hair so short. She told her mother about the misunderstanding and how she had been sent to the barber who had cut her hair so short.  They both found it very funny and the girl and her mother were eventually laughing about it. She was, on reflection also quite happy as it was really tight and a very clean cut.

“Well." said Ma, “I wonder what Dad would say when he comes home and sees your cropped head. It will remind him of when he used to take you with to his barber to have his hair cut very short. Yes, your father was always happy when the barber asked how should he cut it.  Your father always said to do it nice and short. I felt it was always too short when you got home but you preferred it that way. Perhaps next time I will also go to Bart for a haircut. I used to have very short hair and it suited me, and when I see you now I get a bit of the jitters and feel like getting a short clipped head again. We will soon see what Dad says when he sees you and I may just ever so casually say, I think I will be going to that Bart for a very short haircut very soon myself."

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