~B. 1. After we had been (_use_ ~sein~) riding an hour (~Stunde~), we turned in at an inn and asked the host whether he had [any] fresh (~frisch~) eggs. 2. He said the hens (~Huhn~) were not laying very well just‿then (~gerade~), but his wife could (_pres. subj._) perhaps spare (~ablassen~) us a dozen. 3. “That’s much more than we can eat,” said I. “Bring (_use_ ~Sie~ _throughout_) me three, please, boiled, and soft (~weich~).” 4. “And me also three,” said my friend, “but hard (~hart~).” 5. After a while (~Weile~) the eggs were brought in (~herein~) by (~von~) a maid (~Magd~), and the (Mr.) host, who was sitting not far from our table, told us that he had brought‿an‿action‿against a certain (~gewiß~) rich merchant in our town whom we both knew well. 6. “Why have you done that?” asked my friend. 7. “Because he ordered a dozen boiled eggs here and went away without paying‿for them,” was the answer. 8. “When was that?” my friend asked again. 9. “Just five years ago.” 10. “Why (~ei~),” cried my friend, “then you can sue him for (~auf~; _acc._) a tremendous sum, for don’t you see, twelve chickens would have come out of the twelve eggs, and the chickens would have laid eggs in their turn, and so on, five long years! 11. If you take (~annehmen~) me for (~als~) your attorney and give me (the) half (~Hälfte~) of the money, (~so~) I’ll reckon it up for you. What do you say to‿that (thereto)?” 12. “That’s (a) good advice (~Rat~),” said the old [man], “but let me first ask my wife. 13. All [the] money that we take‿in (~einnehmen~) for eggs belongs (~gehören~) to‿her.”~ ~14. The hostess (~Wirtin~) came in (~herein~), and my friend repeated (~wiederholen~) his advice. 15. After listening (she had listened, ~zuhören~) attentively (~aufmerksam~) she laughed and said: “Do you know, (my) gentlemen, what the judge would (~würde~) say to‿that?” 16. “Well (~nun~)?” asked my friend curiously. 17. “I (have) once (~einmal~) heard of a blockhead (~Dummkopf~) who planted boiled peas, and he is still waiting for (~auf~; _acc._) the crop. 18. But if you can show me a single (~einzig~) chicken that (has) crept (~kriechen~) out of a boiled egg, (~so~) the merchant shall pay. 19. Otherwise (~sonst~) he owes you only a small sum with interest for twelve boiled eggs.”~ Der starke Drescher. ~A.~ 1. Wie behandelte dieser Bauer seine Knechte? 2. Rübezahl wird hier »der Berggeist« genannt. Wissen Sie noch, wie der heilige Petrus in der Geschichte von dem Schmied von Jüterbog genannt wird? 3. Warum nahm der reiche Bauer den Drescher nicht sofort in seinen Dienst? 4. Was für Arbeit gab der Bauer dem neuen Knecht? 5. Womit dreschen die Bauern ihr Korn aus? 6. Wo wächst das Korn? Und wo wird es ausgedroschen? 7. Woran erkannte der Bauer, daß der Drescher Rübezahl gewesen war? (Antwort: Daran, daß usw.) 8. Woher wissen Sie, daß der Bauer sich nach der Züchtigung besserte? ~B. =Practice in the Uses of the Subjunctive=~