Section 189. The Favourite Hares. III

Finding him extremely tractable, I made it my⁠ custom to carry him always after breakfast into the garden, where he hid himself generally under the leaves of a vine, sleeping⁠ or chewing the cud till evening; in the leaves also of that vine he found a favourite repast⁠. I had not long habituated him to this taste of liberty, before⁠ he began to be impatient for the return of the time⁠ when he might enjoy it⁠. He would invite me to the garden⁠ by drumming (S. 111, N. 6) upon my knee, and by (S. 185, N. 26) a look of such expression⁠ as it was not possible to misinterpret. If the⁠ rhetoric did not immediately succeed, he would take the skirt of my coat (S. 36, N. 7, A) between his teeth, and pull it with all his force⁠. Thus Puss might be said to be perfectly tamed⁠; the shyness of his nature was done away⁠, and, on the whole⁠, it was visible by many symptoms, which I have not room to enumerate⁠, that he was happier in human society than when (S. 27, N. 7) shut up with⁠ his natural companions.

Not so Tiny; upon him the kindest⁠ treatment had not the least effect. He too was sick, and in his sickness had an equal share of my attention⁠; but when, after his recovery, I took the liberty to stroke him, he would grunt, strike with his fore feet, spring forward, and bite⁠. He was, however⁠, entertaining in his way; even his surliness was matter of mirth⁠, and in his play he preserved such an air of gravity⁠, and performed his feats with such solemnity of manner⁠, that in (an) him too I had an agreeable companion.

zur.

Use this and the following verb in the Imperfect, preceded by ‘and’; to chew the cud, sein Futter wiederkäuen.

in — repast, auch aß er die Blätter des Weinstocks besonders gern.

= when; insert the adv. schon after ‘he’.

to — time = to long impatiently for the time.

when — it = when (S. 131, N. 4) he could again enjoy this liberty.

= to come into the garden with him.

Render ‘of such expression’ by the adj. ‘expressive’; as = that, followed by man and the active form of the verb.

= his; and construe according to the following example: He will never succeed, er wird nie seinen Zweck erreichen.

Supply the adv. ‘forward’ after this noun.

Say ‘And so (somit) I may (dürfen) perhaps (wohl) say of “Puss” that he was quite tamed’.

= his natural shyness was conquered.

überhaupt; visible = clear.

= which (S. 66, N. 15) on account of want of (an) room I cannot enumerate here.

‘to be shut up’, here sich ausschließlich befinden; with, bei.

liebreich.

in — attention = and during his sickness I nursed him with equal (gleich) attention.

Supply ‘at (nach) me’ here.

Supply ‘also’ here; in, auf.

= amusing.

= such a grave air (Miene, f.).

= solemn dignity.