An Old Story of My Farming Days Vol. 2 (of 3).: (Ut Mine Stromtid) — John Shaqi
An Old Story of My Farming Days Vol. 2 (of 3).: (Ut Mine Stromtid)Reuter, Fritz
General
An Old Story of My Farming Days Vol. 2 (of 3).: (Ut Mine Stromtid)
Reuter, Fritz
Farm life -- Fiction
So Bräsig set to work, and painted a great "vivat!!!" on the sheets.
"Hold tight!" he shouted to Mary Möller and Fred Triddelfitz who were
helping him, "I want to get 'Lieutenant and Mrs. Lieutenant' properly
written on the banner."--He had decided, after much thought, on putting
"Lieutenant and Mrs. Lieutenant" after the "vivat", instead of "A. von
Rambow and F. von Satrop" as he had at first intended, for von Rambow
and von Satrop are merely the names of two noble families, and he had
all his life had a great deal to do with people of that kind, while he
had never yet known a lieutenant, and therefore thought the title a
very distinguished one.
When the flag was finished he trotted across the court with it, and
stuck it up on the highest step of the manor-house, and then hastened
down stairs again to see how it looked from below. After that, he tried
hanging it out at the granary-window, and again from the loft above the
stable where the sheep were wintered; but none of these places met with
his approval. "It won't do at all, Charles," he said at last; but after
a long pause he added: "I have it now!" and pointing at the arch he
continued, "That's the very place for it."--"Ah, but," said Hawermann,
"don't you see that if you put it there, it'll hide our arch
completely. The great poplar over there prevents any wind getting at
your banner, and so it's hanging to the pole like an immense icicle
that hasn't melted since last winter."--"I'll soon put that right,
Charles," cried Bräsig, pulling a quantity of twine out of his pocket,
and tying one bit to the upper and another bit to the lower end of his
banner. "Gustavus Kegel," he called to the boy who fed the pigs, "are
you a good climber?"--"Yes, Sir," answered Gustavus.--"Very well then,
my dear pig's Marcary," said Bräsig, laughing heartily at his own joke,
and all the grooms, and farm-lads, and lasses laughed because he did,
"take the ends of these strings, climb the poplar with them, and then
draw tight."--Gustavus did as he was desired, and drew the banner as
tight and firm as if he had been setting a main-sail in preparation for
Pümpelhagen leaving her moorings and sailing away. Bräsig meanwhile
stood by the pole or mast like a captain during a sea-fight, and looked
as if he were commanding the whole ship's company: "He may come now as
soon as he likes, Charles. I'm quite ready for him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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