The Silver Sword
Ian Serraillier
Grade 7 English Language Arts
During World War 2
The Balicki Family
Joseph (Father, Headmaster)
Margrit (Mother)
Ruth (Daughter, almost 13)
Edek (Son, 11 years)
Bronia (Daughter, 3 years)
Chapter 1. The Escape.
►The
Balicki family are spilt up
during the invasion of Warsaw in
World War 2.
►Joseph
escapes from a Nazi prison
camp in southern Poland.
Chapter 2. Journey through the
air.
►Joseph
escapes across the valley in
a cable car.
Chapter 3. The Hiding Place
► Joseph
meets and is cared for by an elderly
Polish couple.
► The
Nazis came searching but Joseph hid up
a chimney to avoid being shot or captured.
Chapter 4. The Silver Sword.
► Joseph
returns to Warsaw to find it
destroyed.
► He
meets Mrs Krause.
► Joseph
finds the silver sword and gives it to
a young boy.
Chapter 5 The Goods Train.
► Joseph
meets the boy again.
► The boy whose name is Jan introduces
himself to Joseph.
► Joseph gives the silver sword to Jan.
► With Jan’s help Joseph gets on to a goods
train.
► New character Jan
Chapter 6.The Night of the Storm
Troopers.
►Margrit
is taken away by the Nazis.
►Edek shoots at them and the tire of
their van.
►The Nazis return to blow up the house.
►The children escape by running along
the rooftops.
Chapter 7. Winter and Summer
Homes
►Ruth,
Bronia and Edek make a summer
home in the woods and a winter home
in a bombed cellar in Warsaw.
►Edek
goes missing.
Chapter 8. The Newcomer
► The
Nazis are under attack from all sides
by the Allies (England, America and the
Russians).
► Bronia finds a sick boy lying on the
street. They care for him.
► A girl finds a wooden box that belongs to
the boy.
►He
told them his name . It was
Jan.
Other People in Chapter 8
► Marshal
Rokossovsky (Russian Army)
► General Bor (Polish Army)
► P.M. Churchill (England)
► Stalin (Russia)
► Yankel (a boy in the street)
► Eva (one of the school children)
Chapter 9. The Russian Sentry
►Ruth
visits the Russian control post.
►She meets Ivan at his sentry post.
►She passes him and requests school
supplies from the lieutenant.
►She makes friends with Ivan who
visits them.
Chapter 10. More help from Ivan
► Ivan
provides boots for the children on their
long journey to Switzerland
► War
does strange things to young people
Chapter 11. The Road to Posen.
► The
children travel to Posen on the way to
Switzerland.
► They
are hoping
1. To find Edek,
► 2. To get some food,
► 3. To get a lift.
►
► Edek
who has T.B. has ran away from Warthe
Camp.
Chapter 12. The Hand
► The
children get food.
► They
are reunited with Edek.
► Jimpy
the cock dies in a stampede.
Chapter 13.Frozen Journey
► The
children travel by train towards Berlin.
► Edek
tells everybody about his adventure.
► Some
did not believe him.
Chapter 14. City of the Lost
► They
► They
► Jan
reach Berlin at the end of May.
go to a camp where they are cared for.
runs away to go find an escaped
chimpanzee.
Chapter 15. Jan finds a new pal.
► Officer
Mark writes a letter to his wife Jane
and daughter Jenny.
► He
tells her about the state of Berlin.
► Jan
and the Balicki children.
► The
escaped chimpanzee and it’s antics.
Chapter 16 Through the Russian
Zone
As they pass through the Russian Zone
Edek tells them many tales of his adventures
Chapter 17 The Signal
► The
children rest to take care of Edek.
► Ruth
► Edek
and Jan get jobs.
is arrested at the train signal while
following Jan who was stealing food from
the trains.
Chapter 18 Captain Greenwood
► Ruth
defends Edek in court.
► She
tells the judge, Captain Greenwood that Jan
was guilty of the crime.
► Jan
prompted and scolded by Ruth tells the judge
about stopping trains and stealing food.
► Jan
is sentenced to detention for a week.
Chapter 19. The Bavarian Farmer
► The
children rest in a barn.
► While
Jan.
searching Kurt is struck by turnips thrown by
► The
children eat breakfast and tells of their
journey.
► Kurt
tells them of the Burgomasters work to send
all refugees Kurt puts them all except Edek
working on the farm back to their own countries
Chapter 20. The Burgomaster
► The
Burgomaster crashes while coming to visit
Kurt.
► Edek,
who pretends to be German helps to replace
the burst tyre.
► Bronia
interrupts and speaks in Polish.
Chapter 21. Orders
► The
Burgomaster returns to tell Kurt that the
children are to be collected and sent back to
Poland.
► Kurt
appeals on behalf of the children and shows
him the Silver Sword.
► The
Burgomaster is not impressed.
Chapter 22. The Farmer hits on a
plan.
► Using
two canoes repaired by Kurt the
children escape.
► Jan
hides Ludwig (the family pet dog) in his
canoe.
► They
plan to go as far as the Danube.
Chapter 23. Dangerous Waters
► The
children travel in two canoes along the
Falkenberg River.
► They
meet dangerous rapids, boulders and rocks.
►A
soldier shoots at and attempts to grab Ruth and
Bronia’s canoe.
► The
canoes are separated but the children are
reunited.
Chapter 24. Missing
► The
Silver Sword goes missing.
► Edek
► Jan
►A
is seriously ill.
and Ludwig go missing during the night.
lorry driven by Joe Wolski stops and offers
help.
Chapter 25. Joe Wolski
► Joe
Wolski, an American G.I. of Polish parentage
transports the children to the Red Cross camp on
the shore of Lake Constance.
► He
talks happily to the children and tells them
about the hyena and the bear in the back of the
truck.
► They
turns out to be Jan and Ludwig.
Chapter 26. News at last
► The
superintendent tells Ruth that he has received
messages from their father and from Kurt Wolff.
► Father
lake).
► He
is in Appanzell (on the Swiss side of the
promised to phone Ruth.
► Kurt
forwards the Silver Sword.
Chapter 27. The Storm
► The
children are caught up in a storm.
► Edek
is seperated from the family.
► They
find a boat and climb aboard.
► Ludwig
► Jan
runs away.
makes a big decision - the family or Ludwig.
Chapter 28. The Meeting
►
►
►
►
►
►
Ruth wakes up in the cabin of a boat.
She is concerned about the children but meet them later.
No one understand her except one person who is her
father.
She is reunited with her father and mother.
Jan tells about all the treasures that he has lost but still has
the Silver Sword.
Jan asks to be adopted by Margrit.
Chapter 29. The New Beginning
An account of the families new life 1946-7.
► Margrit and Joseph are in charge of the Polish House in the
International Children's Village.
► Bronia drew many pictures of war.
► Edek suffered from TB but studies to become an engineer.
► Jan mends his ways and is often called to care for sick
animals.
► Ruth eventually becomes a teacher and marries a French
man.
► She is in charge of the French house.
►