Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French Read Free Book Online Page B

sort that Mum and Dad couldn’t answer like, ‘How fast could God ride a bicycle?’ and ‘How did life begin?’ But he put his book to one side anyway.
    ‘Sure. Fire away,’ he said.
    ‘I just wanted to know…’ began Mark slowly. ‘I mean it’s silly but I was thinking. Do kids have to be like their parents?’
    Mr McDonald frowned. ‘I’m not sure I get your meaning,’ he said.
    ‘Well, say someone’s father did something really evil like Hitler, or Pol Pot,’ he added hurriedly. ‘Would their kids be evil too?’
    Mr McDonald looked relieved, as though he’d expected the question to be more difficult.
    ‘That’s a good question, Mark. No, they probably wouldn’t be evil too. I can’t think of anyone really bad in history whose children were as bad as they were. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true. Bad people often have good kids, and good people have bad kids.’
    ‘But we’re like our parents, aren’t we?’
    ‘Yes and no,’ said Mr McDonald. ‘Kids often inherit the same sort of temperament as their parents, and maybe the same talents. Like music for instance, or painting. But usually they do something different with it. A painter’s kid might become an architect, for example, if they inherited the same talent. Maybe that’s the best way to put it—you inherit your talents from your parents, but what you do with them is your own choice. And mostly kids do things their parents never thought of.’
    ‘So…so Pol Pot’s kids for example. They wouldn’t go round killing people?’
    ‘I don’t know if Pol Pot had any kids,’ said Mr McDonald.
    ‘But if he did?’
    Mr McDonald hesitated. ‘Well, if they were in the Khmer Rouge—Pol Pot’s army—I suppose they might do the same sort of things. But if they were brought up somewhere else, then no, they probably wouldn’t do the same sort of things at all.’ Mr McDonald looked at him sharply. ‘Why do you ask Mark?’
    ‘I was just wondering,’ said Mark.
    ‘There isn’t any trouble at home is there?’ asked Mr McDonald carefully.
    Suddenly Mark realised what he meant.
    ‘No! I mean, no, I’m not worried about Dad or anyone.’ Mark nearly laughed. As though Dad could do anything so wrong or evil that he’d be worried about it.
    He thought quickly. ‘I saw something on Pol Pot on TV that’s all, and I wondered if he had a son and what he’d be like.’
    ‘Maybe he’d have decided to be a chef…or a banker…But he’d probably feel guilty and confused if he realised what his father had done,’ said Mr McDonald.
    ‘It wouldn’t be his fault, would it? All the murders his dad did?’
    ‘No,’ said Mr McDonald slowly. ‘It wouldn’t be his fault at all. Not unless he felt the same way as hisdad did. Or maybe if he refused to face up to the evil things his dad had done…that would be wrong. If we don’t face up to things that were wrong in the past then we might do them again.’
    ‘Mr McDonald…’ Mark had another question, but he could see that Mr McDonald was getting impatient.
    ‘Yes, Mark?’
    ‘The things Hitler did, or Pol Pot…all that genocide stuff. I mean could they have ever thought they were right?’
    Mr McDonald looked uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know,’ he said at last. ‘Sometimes people think they are doing the right thing even when it is bad. But with Hitler and Pol Pot…I just don’t know. Maybe they did think what they were doing was good.’
    ‘But how can we know we’re doing the right thing?’ cried Mark.
    Mr McDonald shrugged. ‘I can’t answer that either,’ he said a bit helplessly. ‘I’d have to think about it. How about you ask your parents or Father Steven next Sunday. Sorry if that doesn’t really answer your question. I had better go and grab some lunch before the bell goes. No more questions then?’ he asked hopefully.
    ‘No more questions. Thanks,’ added Mark.
    He supposed Mr McDonald had at least tried to give him answers.
    The thought pestered him all