Section 188. The Favourite Hares. II

Immediately commencing carpenter, I built⁠ them houses to sleep in. Each leveret had a separate apartment, so contrived⁠ that it could be kept perfectly sweet and clean⁠. In the daytime⁠ the animals had the range⁠ of the hall, and at night⁠ retired each to his own bed, never intruding into that of another⁠.

Puss grew presently familiar, would leap⁠ into my lap, raise himself⁠ upon his hinder feet, and bite the hair from my temples. He would suffer⁠ me to take him up, and to carry him about in my arms, and has more than once fallen fast asleep upon my knees. He was ill three days, during which time I nursed him, kept him apart from his fellows, that⁠ they might not molest him (for, like many other wild animals, they persecute⁠ one of their own species that is sick), and by constant care⁠, and with a variety of herbs, restored him to perfect health⁠. No creature could be more grateful than (S. 104, N. 19) my patient after his recovery, a sentiment which he most significantly expressed by licking⁠ my hand, first the back of it⁠, then the palm, then every finger separately⁠, then⁠ between all the fingers, as if (S. 27, N. 7) anxious to leave no part of it unsaluted; a ceremony⁠ which he never performed but once again⁠ upon a similar occasion.

I became at once a carpenter and made, etc.

ein´richten; see S. 7, N. 3, B.

rein und sauber.

Des Tages.

We had the range of the whole house, wir konnten im ganzen Hause umher´laufen.

des Nachts.

never — other = and none ever (je) went (sich begeben) into the bed of another.

would leap = leapt. Comp. S. 101, N. 22.

= placed himself.

= He allowed (gestatten) me; has fallen = fell; to fall asleep, ein´schlafen.

= in order that, damit; might = could.

= torment, quälen; one — sick = the sick ones of their own species (Gattung, f.).

= nursing, Pflege, f.; with a variety = various.

He restored me to perfect health, er stellte meine Gesundheit ganz wieder her.

durch das Belecken.

und zwar beleckte er zuerst den Rücken derselben.

= singly, adj., to be placed before ‘finger’.

= and finally he licked even, beleckte er mich auch.

here Förmlichkeit, f.

but once again, nur noch einmal; upon, bei.