The Flying Liftboy 1998

Roef pulls Abeltje from school and starts his lift-job at KNOTS

Roef humiliates Abeltje by pulling him away from school after the incident with Laura. She secures him a job as a lift boy at the department store KNOTS. Abeltje begins a new life working with the lift and learning the ropes of the department's heights and responsibilities.

The forbidden button and liftoff

Schraap warns Abeltje never to press the green button, but peer pressure and curiosity get the better of him. The lift lurches to life and shoots upward, alarmed by staff and by Roef. The others react with shock as the capsule leaves the building.

Abeltje learns to steer as unexpected companions join

Abeltje discovers he can steer the lift, turning it from a reckless ride into a capable journey. Laura, Jozias Tump, and Miss Klaterhoen end up traveling with him inside the moving lift. The crew becomes an unlikely band of adventurers as they set off.

Landing on a New York parking lot

The airborne lift finally comes to a stop on a strange New York parking lot, leaving the travelers stunned. They scramble to make sense of their location and what comes next. The city skyline looms as their voyage continues.

Abeltje is kidnapped by Mrs. Cockle-Smith

In New York, the wealthy Mrs. Cockle-Smith mistakes Abeltje for her missing son Johnny and kidnaps him. Abeltje is dragged into the luxurious world of her penthouse, while his companions scramble to follow. His quest to find Johnny suddenly takes on a personal edge.

Locked in the penthouse and discovers resemblance

Abeltje is locked away in Mrs. Cockle-Smith's penthouse and learns he bears a striking resemblance to Johnny. The revelation sets a clear aim: locate Johnny and understand his place in this strange turn of events. He plots an escape with the help of his companions' earlier path.

Escape with Mr. Tump and head toward Perugona

Mr. Jozias Tump helps Abeltje escape, and they rejoin the lift for a rapid flight to Perugona in South America, where Johnny disappeared. The team rides the lift across continents as they pursue their uncertain goal. Perugona's welcome is soon overshadowed by political upheaval.

Coup in Perugona and Tump's presidential bid

Perugona experiences a coup that places guerrillas in control. The insurgents capture the group, installing the vain Mr. Tump as a puppet president. Abeltje sees opportunity in the chaos and uses Tump's position to push forward toward Johnny.

Search for their offspring by the mothers

Back in the Netherlands and in New York, Roef and Johnny's mother race to locate their children. The lift's inhabitants become a focal point of a global hunt that stretches across continents. The tension grows as everyone closes in on Abeltje's whereabouts.

Abeltje finds Johnny

Abeltje finally locates Johnny and the reunion becomes a major turning point. The two are separated by more than distance, but their resemblance now fuels a shared resolve. The pursuit grows more personal as the families draw closer to the truth.

Roef arrives in Perugona and returns Johnny to the Netherlands

Roef reaches Perugona and unexpectedly escorts Johnny back to The Netherlands by plane. The quest to reunite the family shifts as Johnny leaves Perugona again. The emotional stakes rise as they prepare for a final confrontation.

Tump is deposed and the lift vanishes into a volcano

Mr. Tump's presidency collapses when the guerrillas dethrone him. With the power vacuum, the lift's travelers decide to return home, but the lift disappears into the Quoquapepetl volcano. The mystery of their ultimate fate hangs in the air.