Stories by Foreign Authors: German — Volume 2 — John Shaqi
Stories by Foreign Authors: German — Volume 2
General
Stories by Foreign Authors: German — Volume 2
Short stories, German -- Translations into English
The party would willingly have stopped some time here on the declivity
of the hill, to enjoy the extensive prospect before them, had they not
been apprehensive of the dampness of the grass. “How delightful it
would be,” exclaimed some one, “if we had a Turkey carpet to lay down
here!” The wish was scarcely expressed when the man in the gray coat
put his hand in his pocket, and, with a modest and even humble air,
pulled out a rich Turkey carpet, embroidered in gold. The servant
received it as a matter of course, and spread it out on the desired
spot; and, without any ceremony, the company seated themselves on it.
Confounded by what I saw, I gazed again at the man, his pocket, and the
carpet, which was more than twenty feet in length and ten in breadth,
and rubbed my eyes, not knowing what to think, particularly as no one
saw anything extraordinary in the matter.
I would gladly have made some inquiries respecting the man, and asked
who he was, but knew not to whom I should address myself, for I felt
almost more afraid of the servants than of their master. At length I
took courage, and stepping up to a young man who seemed of less
consequence than the others, and who was more frequently standing by
himself, I begged of him, in a low tone, to tell me who the obliging
gentleman was in the gray cloak. “That man who looks like a piece of
thread just escaped from a tailor’s needle?” “Yes; he who is standing
alone yonder.” “I do not know,” was the reply; and to avoid, as it
seemed, any further conversation with me, he turned away, and spoke of
some commonplace matters with a neighbor.
The sun’s rays now being stronger, the ladies complained of feeling
oppressed by the heat; and the lovely Fanny, turning carelessly to the
gray man, to whom I had not yet observed that any one had addressed the
most trifling question, asked him if, perhaps, he had not a tent about
him. He replied, with a low bow, as if some unmerited honor had been
conferred upon him; and, putting his hand in his pocket, drew from it
canvas, poles, cord, iron—in short, everything belonging to the most
splendid tent for a party of pleasure. The young gentlemen assisted in
pitching it; and it covered the whole carpet; but no one seemed to
think that there was anything extraordinary in it.
I had long secretly felt uneasy—indeed, almost horrified; but how was
this feeling increased when, at the next wish expressed, I saw him take
from his pocket three horses! Yes, Adelbert, three large beautiful
steeds, with saddles and bridles, out of the very pocket whence had
already issued a letter-case, a telescope, a carpet twenty feet broad
and ten in length, and a pavilion of the same extent, with all its
appurtenances! Did I not assure thee that my own eyes had seen all
this, thou wouldst certainly disbelieve it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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