Vlasta Palisová

“We are boys and girls from Zlín, where working hard won’t make you lean. We want to learn a lot, but know all well that only hard work will really tell. To help ourselves, to help the school is our aim. With all our strength to achieve the same. To show the world we’re Zlín pupils, we’re love to have fun and have hard-working scruples. Those who see our school will see what all we to do keep healthy. We exercise, go camping, love the sunny day. Cleanliness and tidiness make us happy, gay. When all our duties are complete, sing we joyful and sweet. Our youth will have a long heyday! Sing glory to our school, work ho, hurray – work ho – hurray!”

“When we reckoned things had quietened down for a bit, we ran out of the shelter. On the way, we thought we heard someone yelling. We were in the shelter for just a short moment. A patrol ran up, shouting: ‘Everyone out, up the hill, to the forest! Gas, gas, they hit the gas! Wet towels and leg it uphill.’ We saw people surge out of the city at full tilt. Children screaming, mothers pushing prams with pallid faces. Everyone running as fast as their breath allowed. Anyone with a bike took it and rode off. Fumes, fog everywhere. The neighbour from across the road had four little children. She had two hands, two prams. But because she was German, no one cared if she managed or not. I was already up ahead because I was running to get the wet towels, and then I looked round to see where Mum was. She had gone back to help the German lady with one of the prams. Even though she was fighting for breath herself and puffing hard uphill. Then Dad took over, and I took the two children by their hands, and we ran up the hill. We were there for a long time until the fumes dissipated and things calmed down. Then one more fighter plane flew up, circled around the factory, and flew off again.”