Section 80 Work Is a Great Comforter1
Two neighbouring gardeners had the misfortune of2 having their crop of early peas killed by frost. The one called3 upon the other to condole4 with him. “Ah,” cried he, “how unfortunate5 we have been, neighbour! Do you6 know? I have done nothing but fret ever since7. But it seems you have there a fine healthy8 crop9 coming10 up already; what11 is it?” “This?” cried the other gardener, “why12, it is a crop of peas (S. 16, N. 10) I sowed (S. 48, N. 2) immediately after my loss.” “What13, coming up already?” replied the fretter14. “Yes, while you were fretting15, I16 was working.” “What! don’t you fret when you have a loss?” “Yes, but I always put it off17 until after I have repaired18 the mischief19.” “Why, then you have no need to fret at all.” “True20,” replied the industrious gardener, “I21 find working better than fretting.”—Anonymous.
Notes
1 Die Arbeit ist eine süße Trösterin.
2 of — frost = that (S. 1, N. 3) their young peas were (S. 2, N. 1) destroyed by (durch, followed by the def. art.) frost.
3 to call upon a person, einen besuchen.
4 to condole with a person, einem sein Beileid bezeigen.
5 I have been unfortunate, es ist mir unglücklich ergangen.
6 Use the 2nd pers. sing.
7 ever since = ‘the whole time’, which place after the auxiliary; ‘but fret’, als mich geärgert.
8 kräftig.
9 Saat, f.
10 ‘to come up’ here hübsch grün aussehen.
11 Was ist’s für eine?
12 ei; it — peas = they are (es sind) young peas.
13 Wie; coming up already? = and they look already so (supply hübsch) green?
14 der Trauernde.
15 sich ärgern.
16 Say ‘I have worked’.
17 auf´schieben.
18 wieder gut machen.
19 Schade, m.
20 Richtig.
21 Say ‘I find it better to work than to fret’.