Section 32 Reynard Caught1
A fox observed2 some fowls at roost, and wished to3 gain access to them by smooth speeches. “I have charming news4 to tell you,” he5 said. “The animals have concluded6 an agreement of universal peace with one another. Come down and celebrate7 with me this decree8.” An old cock, who was well on his guard, looked9 cautiously all around, and the fox, perceiving (S. 16, N. 4) this, inquired10 the reason. “I was only observing11 those two dogs which are coming this way12,” replied the cock. Reynard prepared13 to set off. “What14,” cried the cock, “have not the animals concluded an agreement of universal peace?” “Yes,” returned the fox, “but those dogs (S. 5, N. 2) perhaps have not yet15 heard of it (S. 4, N. 5, B).”—Anonymous.
Notes
1 Der überlistete Reineke (or Reinhard).
2 to observe = to see; at roost, auf ihrer Stange sitzen.
3 to — speeches, durch glatte Worte ihrer habhaft zu werden.
4 charming news = something pleasant. To render ‘you’ use the dat. of the persnl. pron. of the 2nd pers. pl. For the construction see App. § 7.
5 The words indicating the speaker, after a quotation, must be rendered in an inverted form (see App. § 13).
6 to conclude, ab´schließen, str. v. tr.; the agreement of universal peace, der allgemeine Friedensvertrag; to come down, herun´terkommen; supply the adv. also between the verb and the separable particle.
7 feiern.
8 Beschluß, m.
9 to look all around, sich nach allen Seiten um´sehen.
10 to inquire the reason, sich nach der Ursache erkundigen.
11 I was observing = I observed (beobachten). Which are coming = which come. The English compound forms of the verb with the auxiliary and the present participle, and of the verb ‘to do’ with the infinitive (I do come = I come. I did come = I came), must be rendered by the corresponding simple forms.
12 dieses Weges.
13 sich zum Davonlaufen bereit machen.
14 Wie.
15 ‘not yet’, here noch nichts.