Section 201 The Two Schoolboys, or Eyes and No Eyes. I.1
“Well, Robert, where have you been walking2 this afternoon?” said a tutor to one of his pupils, at the close3 of a holiday.
Robert.—I have been to Millthorp-Heath, and so round by4 the windmill upon Camp-Mount, and home through the meadows by the river side.
Tutor.—Well, that is a pleasant round5.
Robert.—I thought6 it very dull, sir; I scarcely met with a single person. I would much rather have gone7 along the turnpike-road.
Tutor.—To be sure, if seeing men and horses is your object8, you are, indeed, better entertained on the high-road. But did you not see William (S. 48, N. 2)?
Robert.—We set out together9; but he lagged behind in the lane, and so10 I walked on and left him.
Tutor.—That was a pity. He would have been company for you.
Robert.—Oh, he is so tedious, always stopping to look at this thing or that! I would rather walk alone11. I dare say he is not come yet.
Tutor.—Here he comes. Well, William, where have you been?
William.—Oh, the pleasantest walk12! I went all over Millthorp-Heath, and so up to the mill at the top of the hill, and then down among the green meadows by the side of the river home again.
Tutor.—Why, that is just the round Robert has been taking, and he complains of its dulness and prefers the high-road.
William.—I wonder at that. I am sure I hardly took a step that did not delight me; and I have brought home my handkerchief full of curiosities13.
Tutor.—Suppose14, then, you give us an account of what amused you so much. I fancy it will15 be as new to Robert as to me.
William.—I will do it readily. The lane leading to the heath, you know, is close16 and sandy, so I did not mind it much, but made the best of my way17. However, I spied a curious thing enough18 in the hedge. It was an old crab-tree, out of which grew a bunch of something green19, quite different from the tree itself. Here is a branch of it.
Tutor.—Ah! this is mistletoe, a plant of great fame20 for the use made of it by the Druids of old21, in their religious rites and incantations. It bears22 a very slimy, white berry, of which bird-lime may be made, whence23 its Latin name “viscum.” It is one of those plants which do not grow in the ground by a root of their own24, but fix themselves upon other plants; whence25 they have been humourously26 styled “parasitical,” as being hangers on, or dependents. It was the mistletoe of the oak that the Druids particularly honoured.
Notes
1 oder Sehen und nicht Sehen.
2 walking, auf deinem Spaziergange. Use the 2nd pers. sing. when the tutor addresses the boy, but the 3rd pers. pl. when the boy addresses the tutor.
3 am Abend.
4 and — by = dann bei... vorüber. Camp-Mount, der Lagerberg; Millthorp-Heath, die Millthorper Heide.
5 = tour or walk.
6 = I have found.
7 Use the Pluperfect Subj. accord. to App. § 32; along — road, die Chaussee.
8 = if you want to see men and horses.—I am better entertained there, ich werde mich dort besser amüsieren.
9 = We went away from home together.
10 = therefore; and left him = and troubled no more about him (sich um einen kümmern).
11 Ich gehe viel lieber allein. I dare say, wohl, adv., to be placed after the auxiliary.
12 = Oh, it was a splendid walk! All over = through the whole of; and so = then; and then = and from there; among = through.
13 = curious things.
14 Nun.
15 = It will certainly.
16 eingepfercht.
17 so — way = and therefore I left almost everything unnoticed there and went on as fast as possible.
18 = something most curious.
19 a — green = a green plant.
20 = a well (allgemein) known plant.
21 = the old Druids; in, bei.
22 = has.
23 und daher.
24 which — own, welche nicht in der Erde wurzeln.
25 weshalb.
26 scherzhafterweise; parasitical, Parasiten; as — dependents, das heißt Schmarotzer oder Abhänglinge.