Section 209. A Friend in Need (S. 3, N. 2). I

One wet wintry night, when a gentleman was hurrying along⁠ one of the crowded thoroughfares of London, his attention was arrested by a lean, hungry-looking dog which rushed past him. He observed that it had a collar⁠ round its neck, to which a basket was attached. If it was (App. § 36) a dog that ran on errands⁠, he thought that surely its owner would feed it better, and its ribs would not look so spare. Thinking that there was some mystery connected with the animal⁠, he resolved to follow it⁠. After a⁠ time it turned up a narrow lane into a stable-yard, where some coachmen and hostlers were loitering about. It then got up on its hind-legs, and began walking about in circles⁠. The bystanders, surprised at this strange proceeding, formed round in a ring and looked on. It walked five times round, standing⁠ erect, and looking fixedly before it like a soldier on duty⁠, evidently doing its utmost⁠ to make the company laugh. After taking a short rest, it began its performance⁠ again, but this time on its fore-feet, pretending to stand⁠ on its (S. 43, N. 9) head. Tiring of this⁠, it lay down in the middle of the ring, feigning to be dead⁠, and going through all the convulsions of a dying dog, breathing heavily, panting, suffering the lower jaw to fall⁠, and then turning over motionless. It did this so well, that a woman in the crowd exclaimed: “Poor beast!” and drew her hand across her eyes⁠. Having lain still a minute, with its eyes closed, it got up and shook itself, to show that the performance⁠ was over. It then went round begging on its hind-legs, standing⁠ a little while before each of the spectators, and earnestly watching⁠ to see whether they put their hands into their pockets or not. The basket round its neck had a slit in the lid, into which the coppers might be dropped.

to hurry along, durchei´len, insep. comp. w. v. Place ‘one — night’ after ‘gentleman’; wet = rainy; thoroughfares = streets.

here Halsband, n.; round its neck, um.

to run on errands, Besorgungen aus´richten; and — spare = and it would not look so dreadfully lean.

= Since the matter appeared very mysterious (rätselhaft) to him.

= the animal.

kurz; turned up = ran into; into = which led to.

im Kreise.

= held himself.

auf dem Posten.

= and did evidently his best.

here = tricks, Kunststücke.

= and did (sich anstellen) as if he stood (App. § 33).

= Hereupon.

to feign to be dead, sich tot stellen. The Present Participles in this passage must be rendered by the Imperfect in German.

= dropped (fallen lassen) the lower jaw.

mit der Hand über die Augen fahren.

Vorstellung, f.

stille stehen.

= and watched (beobachten) them quite earnestly (ernsthaft).