<P> A short story within the novel has become well known in its own right in popular culture . The story, read aloud in a schoolroom in England, is about a Dutch boy who saves his country by putting his finger in a leaking dike . The boy stays there all night, in spite of the cold, until the adults of the village find him and make the necessary repairs . </P> <P> In the book, the boy and the story are called simply "The Hero of Haarlem". Although the hero of the dike - plugging tale remains nameless in the book, Hans Brinker's name has sometimes erroneously been associated with the character . </P> <P> This small tale within Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates has generated numerous versions and adaptations in media . American poet Phoebe Cary--at whose New York City literary gatherings Dodge was a regular guest--wrote a lengthy poem about it called "The Leak in the Dike", published posthumously in 1873, which has been widely anthologized in books of poetry for schoolchildren . Cary also gave the boy a name: Peter . </P> <P> The tale has also inspired full - fledged children's books of its own, which include: </P>

Name of dutch boy with finger in dike