本书以十七世纪荷兰资产**革命时期激烈的政治斗争和动荡生活为背景。主人公范·贝莱是个爱好培植黑郁金香的好手。因此，获得了一笔可观的奖金，邻居博克斯特尔为了得这笔奖金，也想培育黑郁金香。他对范·贝菜忌妒生恨，不择手段破坏已培育的黑郁金香，并诬陷范·贝莱，使他无辜锒铛入狱。在监狱看守女儿罗莎的帮助下，继续试种黑郁金香，使已被博克斯特尔窃为已有的黑郁金香真正回到主人手里。范·贝莱也被宣告无罪，重获自由，并和罗莎幸福结合。
本书为简写本，词汇量1500个，浅显易懂。适合大学一、二年级学生同等水平读者阅读欣赏。

1 A Happy Man
2 Secret Papers
3 De Witte Sends A Message
4 Death In The Street
5 Van Baerle Goes To Prison
6 Boxtel Follows
7 A Long Night
8 Gryphus Breaks His Arm
9 Led Out To Death
10 Saved!
11 A Message To Dort
12 A Visit From Rosa
13 A Reading Lesson
14 The First Bulb
15 Cornelius Makes A Plan
16 Rosa
17 The Second Bulb
18 Gryphus Finds Nothing
19 Rosa Brings News
20 Watch!Watch!
21 The Tulip Opens
22 Danger!
23 The Tulip Is Stolen
24 Rosa Meets The President
25 The Prince And Boxtel
26 The Prince And Boxtel
27 Where Is The Third Bulb?
28 The Prince Sends A Letter
29 Gryphus Gets A Beating
30 Cornelius Goes To Haarlem
31 The Feast Of Tulips
32 The Prince Arrives
33 The Prize
Vocabulary