Chapter 1

A gentleman, just returned from a journey to (S. 72, N. 4) London, was surrounded by his children, eager, after the first salutation was over, to hear the news, and still more eager to see the contents of a small portmanteau, which were, one by one, carefully unfolded and displayed to view. After having distributed amongst the children a few small presents, the father took his seat again, saying, that he must confess he had brought from town, for his own use, something far more curious and valuable than any of the little gifts (S. 16, N. 10) they had received. It was, he said, too good to present to any of them; but he would, if they pleased, first give them a brief description of it (S. 4, N. 5, B), and then perhaps they might be allowed to inspect it.

+merkwürdig.+

The noun ‘=gentleman=’ may be used in its unaltered form in German.

+heim´kehren+; for the constr. see S. 7, N. 3, B.

+von+; to surround, +umrin´gen+.

Say ‘who after the first salutations were eager (+begierig+)’.

+der Inhalt+, which has no plural.

Since the antecedent of the pron. which (i.e. +Inhalt+) has no plural in German, the constr. of the passage ‘which — to view’ must be altered. Let us say ‘from which (+aus welcher+, to agree with +Reisetasche+ in the fem. sing.) then (supply the adverb +auch+ in this place) every piece was carefully unpacked (+aus´packen+) and shown round (+umher´zeigen+)’.

Construe accord. to S. 55, N. 1; to distribute, +vertei´len+; amongst, +unter+, with the acc. The direct object must be placed before the words ‘amongst the children’.

Say ‘he sat down again and said’.

that he must confess, +er wolle es nur gestehen+.

This passage is best introduced by the conj. +daß+. Read carefully App. §§ 28 and 30.

+aus der Stadt+, which place before the p. p. (+mitgebracht+).

+irgend eins.+

Say ‘he continued’.

See S. 19, N. 7, and supply here the pron. +es+; to any = to one.

Say ‘if they wished it’.

+und dann dürften sie es sich vielleicht ansehen.+

Section 89.

A CURIOUS INSTRUMENT.