The first pages: what Thom Roep and Piet Wijn actually tell us right away

1. The Meal: Douwe as an Outsider

The scene—Douwe at the table, the wine from the carafe, and then the platter of snacks—is exceptionally important because this is likely the first real characterization of Douwe.

Douwe finds himself in a world of:

• court etiquette;

• abundance;

• exquisite tableware;

• numerous servants;

• plentiful food and drink.

But he acts as if he’s not at all impressed by any of it.

That’s a stark contrast to Pauline.

Pauline is used to luxury and takes it for granted. Douwe, on the other hand, is someone who behaves modestly in the midst of that luxury.

The joke with the carafe is therefore not just: “Look, Douwe drinks in a funny way.”

Rather, it’s: “This man doesn’t belong at court—and he’s not going to act as if he does.”

That’s a character trait that becomes very important later on.

2. The carafe is actually a first small provocation

When Douwe drinks the wine straight from the carafe, he breaks the rules of the table.

That’s interesting because Pauline is also constantly breaking rules.

But Thom Roep makes a subtle distinction here:

• Pauline breaks rules because she’s spoiled.

• Douwe breaks rules because he doesn’t care about rules he considers unimportant.

That difference actually forms the basis of their relationship.

Douwe ultimately has to teach Pauline what’s important—but he isn’t a proper, stuffy mentor himself.

He’s actually an unorthodox mentor.

3. Then comes the even bigger joke: the snacks

The moment when Douwe suddenly stuffs the various desserts from the platter into his mouth makes it even more powerful.

Here, Piet Wijn does something he was exceptionally good at: a character trait becomes a visual joke.

You don’t need to read a speech bubble to understand: “This man has a huge appetite and doesn’t care about anything.”

But there’s another nice bit of irony here. For just a moment, Douwe does something that resembles Pauline.

Pauline wants everything. Douwe takes everything, too.

But with Pauline, it’s: “I want everything because I’m spoiled.”

With Douwe, it’s: “Why should I choose when everything tastes good?”

That’s a very important difference.

4. As a result, Douwe isn’t introduced as a wise old man

I think this might be the most interesting aspect.

If Thom Roep had immediately portrayed Douwe as some kind of perfect, wise mentor, the story would be much less interesting.

Instead, he makes him:

• greedy;

• stubborn;

• unconventional;

• practical;

• sometimes ill-mannered;

• but at the same time likable.

That aligns with the way Douwe functions later in the series.

He hardly ever preaches. He usually lets people discover things for themselves through events.

This fits perfectly with the original concept: Douwe is supposed to educate Pauline, but he does so by taking her on an adventure and confronting her with reality. The story’s descriptions also emphasize that Douwe teaches her life lessons during their journey.

5. The king and the court are actually a satire

I think you should also view the first few pages as a kind of fairy-tale parody.

Everything is exaggerated: a massive royal court → a massive feast → an enormous amount of luxury → a princess who still isn’t satisfied.

That is the world in which Pauline grew up.

And then there’s that little dwarf standing in contrast to it all.

That contrast is visually stunning: a small, simple Douwe set against a large, rich, and complicated court.

Piet Wijn hardly needed to explain that.

6. Pauline isn’t just called “spoiled”—Piet Wijn shows it

That’s an important difference.

Thom Roep can write in the script that Pauline is spoiled.

But Piet Wijn has to make sure the reader sees it.

That’s why those early scenes are so important.

Pauline’s behavior toward those around her shows that she:

• doesn’t consider others;

• is used to getting her way immediately;

• needs entertainment;

• isn’t satisfied with what she already has.

The official summaries of the story describe her exactly in those terms: her pranks and antics continue all day long until the king can no longer handle the situation and seeks out a tutor.

7. A very clever contrast: Douwe enjoys what Pauline can no longer appreciate

I think this is where the deeper joke lies.

Douwe is served a table full of delicious food. He enjoys it.

Pauline has the same abundance constantly at her disposal. As a result, nothing is special to her anymore.

That is actually the central theme of the entire album, already in miniature form:

Those who have everything eventually can no longer appreciate anything.

Douwe needs very little and can actually enjoy simple things.

Pauline has everything and is still unhappy. That is exactly the lesson she ultimately has to learn.

8. A Preview of Douwe as a Mentor

So the first few pages actually already contain a sort of preview of the way Douwe will raise Pauline.

He won’t raise her by saying, “Pauline, you have to be grateful.”

Instead, he puts her in situations where she discovers for herself what happens when you:

• want everything;

• treat others badly;

• think only of yourself;

• are never satisfied.

This fits with the later description of their adventure: Douwe doesn’t use force, but clever tricks and magical situations to teach Pauline a lesson.

9. And then there’s another important historical detail

Douwe’s origins make this scene even more interesting.

In 1974, Thom Roep was looking for a new serialized story for Donald Duck. He was commissioned to write a fairy tale that Piet Wijn could illustrate. The original idea was about a spoiled princess who needed to be taught a lesson. It wasn’t until the development phase that the princess was paired with a dwarf—and that’s how Douwe Dabbert came to be.

That means you can actually read the first few pages as the moment when two characters who need each other are brought face to face:

Pauline has to learn how to live. Douwe has to show her how—but he’s no conventional figure himself.

I think that’s the real charm of those first few pages.

My conclusion about the carafe and the snacks

That’s why I think the original question—“Why is Douwe doing this?”—actually has a much more interesting answer than just “for a laugh.”

The two jokes are a miniature version of the entire comic.

• Douwe: is content with what he gets, enjoys it, and doesn’t care about outward appearances.

• Pauline: has everything she could possibly wish for, but no longer appreciates anything.

And Piet Wijn makes that difference visible without explaining it.

That’s probably also why that seemingly unimportant scene with the carafe and the snacks sticks with you: in just a few drawings, Douwe Dabbert is born as a character.

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