9

their return from hunting, they saw a couple of owls 1 upon a tree that grew near an old wall out of a heap of rubbish. "I would fain know," "> 2 says the sultan, “what those two owls are saying to one another; 3 listen to their discourse, and give me an account of it." 4 The vizier approached the tree, pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his return to the 7 sultan : "Sir," 8 says he, "I have heard part of their conversation, but dare not 10 tell you what it is." 11 The sultan would not be satisfied with 12 such an answer, but forced him to repeat, word for word, everything the owls had said.13 "You must know 14 then," said the vizier, "that one of these owls has a son and the other a daughter, between whom they are now upon a treaty of marriage.15 The father of the son said 16 to the father of the daughter, in my hearing,17 'Brother, I consent to this marriage, provided you will settle upon your daughter fifty ruined villages for her portion.' '18 To which the father of the daughter replied,19 Instead of fifty, I will give her 20 five hundred, if you please.2 monsieur corresponds to 'sir,' the common term of civility. 9 Translate, a part.'

1 un couple de hiboux. The French substantive couple is feminine when it simply means two of the same species, or kind, and near in place, or considered together; but it is masculine when it refers either to two individuals, male and female, or to any two beings united by a common will or sentiment, or any other cause which fits them to act in concert. Thus, une couple de pommes, d'œufs (a couple of apples, of eggs'); and un couple de fripons (a couple of rogues').

3

Je voudrais bien savoir.

ce que se disent ces deux hiboux. In subordinate sentences, like the present, it is often more elegant to put the nominative (ces deux hiboux) after the verb (se disent).

4rends-m'en compte.-'listen ;' use the second person singular. 5 en feignant de; or, en faisant semblant (or, mine) de.

6 Translate, to the words (page 28, note 3) of the two owls.' 7 Simply, Revenu près du.

Sire (speaking to a sovereign);

10 See p. 31, n. 1; and p. 48, n. 12 11 de quoi il s'agit.

12 ne voulut pas se contenter de. 13 See p. 1, n. 18, and above, n. 3. 14 Vous saurez (future of savoir). 15 et ils sont maintenant en pourparler sur les conditions d'un mariage entre ces derniers.

17

18

16 Translate, has said.' [disse. assez haut pour que je l'entenpourvu que vous constituiez en dot (or, assigniez pour-en-dot) à votre fille cinquante, &c. Always observe, as a rule, in French, the closest connexion of ideas: thus, constituiez cinquante, &c. en dot à votre fille, would not be a good French construction.

19 Translate, 'has replied.'
20 See page 158, note 10.

21 si cela vous fait (or, peut vous faire) plaisir; or, si vous le voulez.

-S'il vous plaît would correspond to 'if you please,' if used as a com mon term of civil request.

and there's half-crown for yourself."1 The dean, thus drawn into 2 an act of generosity, laughed heartily, and gave the boy a crown for his wit.—(* * *)

9

RABELAIS A TRAITOR.3

8

THIS celebrated wit was once at a great distance from Paris, and without money to bear his expenses 5 thither. The ingenious author being thus sharp set,6 got together? a convenient quantity of brickdust, and having disposed of it into several papers, wrote upon one, Poison for Monsieur; upon a second, Poison for the Dauphin, 10 and on a third, Poison for the King. Having made this provision for 11 the royal family of France, he laid his papers so that the landlord, who was an inquisitive man and a good subject, might get a sight of them.18 The plot succeeded as he desired; 14 the host gave immediate intelligence to 15

12

1 et voilà une demi-couronne which was afterwards transferred pour toi. The adjective demi is to the eldest son of every French invariable when placed before the king, from the time of the annexasubstantive, but agrees with it in tion of that province to the crown gender when after, as une couronne until the first Revolution, in 1789. et demie (a crown and a half'). 2 entraîné à.

3 coupable de haute trahison. 4 Rabelais, si célèbre par son esprit. See p. 90, end of note 6. 5 Translate, to pay his expenses.''thither,' jusque-là.

6 en étant donc aux expédients; or, étant donc réduit à sa dernière ressource; or, étant donc presque à bout de ressources (or, à bout de voie); or, ne sachant donc plus de quel bois faire flèche.In the more usual sense of, 'to be famished, 'to be sharp set' is, avoir les dents longues. 7 ramassa.

11 Après avoir ainsi pourvu à la consommation de. 12 fidèle.

13 put les voir. The subjunctive (the mood which expresses doubt, among other things) is here used, instead of the indicative (pût instead of put), because an intention only-implying a doubt as to the result and not a positive fact, is stated.

14 comme il le désirait. The pronoun le (it'), which is used in French in such cases as this, carries back the mind to the fact mentioned before, namely, here, that 'it' (the plot) should succeed. It also corresponds to 'so,' or to any other resuming expression, either expressed or understood, in English.-Yet this pronoun may be left out after the adverbs of comparison plus, moins, comme, and after si, &c.

15 avertit immédiatement.

God grant a long life to Sultan1 Mahmoud; whilst he reigns over us we shall never want 2 ruined villages.'

The story says,3 the sultan was so touched with the fable that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been destroyed, and from that time forward consulted the good of his people.-(ADDISON, Spectator.)

6

TIT FOR TAT. 4

A FRIEND of Dean 5 Swift one day sent him a turbot, as a present, by a servant who had frequently been on similar errands, but who had never received the most trifling mark of the dean's generosity. Having gained admission, he opened the door of the study, and, abruptly putting down the fish, cried very rudely, "Master has sent you 10 a turbot." "Young man," said the dean, rising from his easy chair,11 "is that the way you deliver your message? 12 Let me teach you better manners; 13 sit down in my chair, we will change situations, 14 and I will show you how 15 to behave in future." The boy sat down; and the dean, going to the door, came up to 16 the table with a respectful pace, and making a low 17 bow, said, "Sir, my master presents his kind compliments, 18 hopes you are well,19 and requests your acceptance of 20 a small present." "Does he?" 21 replied the boy; "return him my best thanks,22 1 au sultan. Nouns of title or,... que tu fais ta commission)? (such as Sultan,''King,' Queen,' 13 Laisse-moi te donner une leçon Doctor,' Dean,' 'Colonel,' 'Cap- de politesse (or, de savoir-vivre). tain,' &c.), used before proper names, are preceded, in French, by the definite article.

14 situations; use rôle (singular), and see page 2, note; and page 132, note 18

15 comment il faut.

16 s'avança vers.—' with ;' de.
17 profond.

18 vous présente (or, vous fait) ses compliments affectueux.

19 que vous vous portez bien; or, more politely, que vous êtes en bonne

santé.

20 et vous prie d'accepter (or, more politely still, de vouloir bien accepter.. 'your kind acceptance of'). 21 Vraiment ! 22 remercie le bien de ma part.

and there's half-crown for yourself."1

The dean, thus

drawn into 2 an act of generosity, laughed heartily. and gave the boy a crown for his wit.-(* * *)

RABELAIS A TRAITOR.3

8

THIS celebrated wit was once at a great distance from Paris, and without money to bear his expenses 5 thither. The ingenious author being thus sharp set,6 got together? a convenient quantity of brickdust, and having disposed of it into several papers, wrote upon one, Poison for Monsieur;9 upon a second, Poison for the Dauphin,10 and on a third, Poison for the King. Having made this provision for 11 the royal family of France, he laid his papers so that the landlord, who was an inquisitive man and a good subject, might get a sight of them.18 The plot succeeded as he desired; 14 the host gave immediate intelligence to 15

12

1 et voilà une demi-couronne which was afterwards transferred pour toi. The adjective demi is to the eldest son of every French invariable when placed before the king, from the time of the annexasubstantive, but agrees with it in tion of that province to the crown gender when after, as une couronne until the first Revolution, in 1789. et demie (a crown and a half'). 11 Après avoir ainsi pourvu à la 2 entraîné d. consommation de. 12 fidèle.

3 coupable de haute trahison. 4 Rabelais, si célèbre par son esprit. See p. 90, end of note 6. 5 Translate, to pay his expenses.'-'thither,' jusque-là.

6 en étant donc aux expédients; or, étant donc réduit à sa dernière ressource; or, étant donc presque à bout de ressources (or, à bout de voie); or, ne sachant donc plus de quel bois faire flèche.In the more usual sense of, 'to be famished, 'to be sharp set' is, avoir les dents longues. 7 ramassa.

8 en plusieurs petits paquets dans du papier.—' wrote,' see p. 23, n. 6. Monsieur, used absolutely, was said of the eldest of the brothers of the king of France.

10 Dauphin was the title originally borne by princes of the province of France called Dauphiné, and

13 pat les voir. The subjunctive (the mood which expresses doubt, among other things) is here used, instead of the indicative (pût instead of put), because an intention only-implying a doubt as to the result-and not a positive fact, is stated.

14

comme il le désirait. The pronoun le (it'), which is used in French in such cases as this, carries back the mind to the fact mentioned before, namely, here, that 'it' (the plot) should succeed. It also corresponds to 'so,' or to any other resuming expression, either expressed or understood, in English.-Yet this pronoun may be left out after the adverbs of comparison plus, moins, comme, and after si, &c.

15 avertit immédiatement.