3. Reading. Task 2. A misunderstanding

 

 

 

George also had an adventure in Dresden. (0) There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale. They were very  beautiful cushions, hand-embroidered on satin. We often passed the shop, and every time George paused and examined those cushions. He said he thought his aunt would like one.

Therefore it was that on the Saturday he left us after lunch, saying he would go round to that shop and get one of those cushions for his aunt. (1) He said he would not be long.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.I went into the shop.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’After that he said he would go to the shop.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one. We waited for what seemed to me rather a long time. (2) I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.He said he would not be long.After that he said he would go to the shop.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.I went into the shop.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before. We asked him where his cushion was. He said he hadn’t got a cushion, said he had changed his mind, said he didn’t think his aunt would care for a cushion. Evidently something was amiss. We tried to get at the bottom of it, but he was not communicative. Indeed, his answers after our twentieth question or thereabouts became quite short.

In the evening, however, when he and I happened to be alone, he broached the subject himself. He said: ‘They are somewhat peculiar in some things, these Germans.’

I said: ‘What has happened?’

‘Well,’ he answered, ‘there was that cushion I wanted. There were four in the window, if you remember, all very much alike, and each one labelled in plain figures twenty marks. I don’t pretend to speak German fluently, but I can generally make myself understood with a little effort, and gather the sense of what is said to me, provided they don’t gabble. (3) You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’He said he would not be long.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.I went into the shop.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.After that he said he would go to the shop. A young girl came up to me. She smiled and asked me what I wanted. I understood that all right; there could have been no mistake about that. (4) You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I went into the shop.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.He said he would not be long.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.After that he said he would go to the shop.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’ She stared at me as if I had asked for a feather bed. I thought, maybe, she had not heard, so I repeated it louder. She said she thought I must be making a mistake. I did not want to begin a long conversation and find myself stranded. I said there was no mistake. I pointed to my twenty mark piece, and repeated for the third time that I wanted a cushion, a twenty mark cushion.

(5) After that he said he would go to the shop.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.He said he would not be long.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I went into the shop.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before. She seemed quite excited about it. The second girl did not believe her – did not think I looked the sort of man who would want a cushion. To make sure, she put the question to me herself.

‘Did you say you wanted a cushion?’ she asked.
‘I have said it three times,’ I answered. ‘I will say it again – I want a cushion.’ She said: ‘Then you can’t have one.’

I was getting angry by this time. If I hadn’t really wanted the thing I should have walked out of the shop; but there the cushions were in the window, evidently for sale. (6) I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’He said he would not be long.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.After that he said he would go to the shop.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.I went into the shop.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance. 

I said: ‘I will have one!’ It is a simple sentence. I said it with determination.
A third girl came up at this point, the three representing, I fancy, the whole force of the shop. The first two girls started explaining the thing to the third girl, and before they were half-way through the third girl began to giggle – she was the sort of girl who would giggle at anything. That done, they fell to chattering, all three together; and between every half-dozen words they looked across at me; and the more they looked at me the more the third girl giggled; and before they had finished they were all three giggling. (7) After that he said he would go to the shop.He said he would not be long.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.I went into the shop.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.

 

When she was steady enough to move, the third girl came up to me; she was still giggling. She said: ‘If you get it, will you go?’
I did not quite understand her at first, and she repeated it.

‘This cushion. When you’ve got it, will you go-away-at once?’

I said ‘I was not going without it.’

(8) I went into the shop.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.After that he said he would go to the shop.He said he would not be long.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl. Instead of that, the strangest thing possible happened. The two other girls got behind the first girl, all three still giggling, Heaven knows what about, and pushed her towards me. They pushed her close up to me, and then, before I knew what was happening, she put her hands on my shoulders, stood up on tiptoe, and kissed me. (9) You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I went into the shop.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.After that he said he would go to the shop.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.He said he would not be long.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’ The third girl opened the door for me, and so evidently expected me to go, that in my confusion I went, leaving my twenty marks behind me. I don’t say I minded the kiss, though I did not particularly want it, while I did want the cushion. I don’t like to go back to the shop. I cannot understand the thing at all.’
I said: ‘What did you ask for?’

He said: ‘A cushion.’
I said: ‘That is what you wanted, I know. What I mean is, what was the actual German word you said.’

He replied: ‘A kuss.’
I said: ‘You have nothing to complain of. It is somewhat confusing. A ‘kuss’ sounds as if it ought to be a cushion, but it is not; it is a kiss, while a ‘kissen’ is a cushion. (10) After that he said he would go to the shop.I thought they were going to get me the cushion and have done with the business.I went into the shop.When he rejoined us he was empty handed, and looked worried.He said he would not be long.You might have thought I was a clown, giving a private performance.I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one.Another girl came up, an elder girl; and the first girl repeated to her what I had just said.You muddled up the two words – people have done it before.I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said, ‘Please give me a cushion.’After which, burying her face in her apron, she ran off, followed by the second girl.There was a shop in the window of which were exhibited some cushions for sale. I don’t know much about this sort of thing myself; but you asked for a twenty mark kiss.’