German composition

Section 153 New-Year’s Eve. — II

She drew one out—“Ritsh!” how it sputtered⁠1 and burned! It burned with a warm, bright flame, like a candle, and she bent her hand round it (S. 4, N. 5, B), it was a wonderful light! It appeared to the little girl as if she were sitting⁠2 before a large iron stove, in which the fire burned brightly, and⁠3 gave out such comfort and such warmth. She stretched out her feet to warm them, too—but the flame went⁠4 out, the stove disappeared, and there she sat, still holding⁠5 a little bit of the burnt-out⁠4 match in her (S. 43, N. 9, A) hand.

Another was⁠6 lighted; it burned, and, where⁠7 the light fell upon the wall, that⁠8 became transparent, so that she could see into the room. There the table was covered with a cloth of dazzling white, and with fine china; and a roast goose was smoking most⁠9 temptingly upon it. But what was still more delightful, the goose sprang down from the table, and⁠10, with a knife and (S. 10, N. 9) fork sticking in its⁠11 back, waddled towards the little girl. Then⁠12 the match went out⁠4, and she saw nothing but the thick, cold wall.

She lighted a third one (S. 67, N. 3); and now she was sitting under the most splendid Christmas-tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated⁠13 than the one (S. 16, N. 10) she had seen at Christmas⁠14 through the window at⁠15 the rich merchant’s. Hundreds of⁠16 tapers were burning amongst the green branches, and painted⁠17 pictures, such⁠18 as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. She stretched out⁠19 both her hands, when the match was burnt⁠4 out,—

Notes

1 sprühen, w. v.

2 Use the Impf. Subj. according to App. § 33; as if, als.

3 und ich weiß nicht wie viel Behaglichkeit und Wärme ausstrahlte.

4 ‘to go out’, and ‘to burn out’, here erlöschen, insep. comp. str. v.

5 The Present Participle may be used here in German, but where must it be placed?

6 In which Voice is the verb here? Introduce the clause by the grammatical subject ‘es’, as explained in S. 104, N. 19.

7 where = at (an) the place (Stelle, f.) where.

8 diese.

9 Use the superlative of hoch.

10 Here follows the verb ‘waddled’.

11 in its = in the, contracted; towards, auf... zu, which latter preposition place at the end of the whole period.

12 Then = Thereupon.

13 auf´putzen, sep. comp. w. v.

14 at (an, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.) Christmas-day.

15 The preposition ‘at,’ in the signification of ‘at the house of’ is generally rendered by the preposition ‘bei’, which governs the dative; as—
At Easter we shall all dine at my mother’s. Am Ostertage werden wir alle bei meiner Mutter zu Mittag essen.

16 von.

17 painted = coloured, bunt.

18 such as, wie.

19 Supply the pronominal adverb ‘danach’ before the particle aus, which stands at the end.