II.

She drew one out—“Ritsh!” how it sputtered[1] 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 sitting[2] before a large iron stove, in which the fire burned brightly, and[3] gave out such comfort and such warmth. She stretched out her feet to warm them, too—but the flame went[4] out, the stove disappeared, and there she sat, still holding[5] a little bit of the burnt-out[4] match in her (S. 43, N. 9, _A_) hand.

Another was[6] lighted; it burned, and, where[7] the light fell upon the wall, that[8] 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 most[9] temptingly upon it. But what was still more delightful, the goose sprang down from the table, and[10], with a knife and (S. 10, N. 9) fork _sticking_ in its[11] back, waddled towards the little girl. Then[12] the match went out[4], 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 decorated[13] than the one (S. 16, N. 10) she had seen at Christmas[14] through the window at[15] the rich merchant’s. Hundreds of[16] tapers were burning amongst the green branches, and painted[17] pictures, such[18] as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. She stretched out[19] both _her_ hands, when the match was burnt[4] out,—

[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.

_Section 154._

NEW-YEAR’S EVE.