Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Hefinishedamidaperfectshriekoflaughter. Wesaiditwasthefunniestthingwehadeverheardinallourlives. Wesaidhowstrangeitwasthat,inthefaceofthingslikethese,thereshouldbeapopularnotionthattheGermanshadn’tanysenseofhumour. AndweaskedtheProfessorwhyhedidn’ttranslatethesongintoEnglish,sothatthecommonpeoplecouldunderstandit,andhearwhatarealcomicsongwaslike. 

           ThenHerrSlossennBoschengotup,andwentonawful. HesworeatusinGerman(whichIshouldjudgetobeasingularlyeffectivelanguageforthatpurpose),andhedanced,andshookhisfists,andcalledusalltheEnglishheknew. Hesaidhehadneverbeensoinsultedinallhislife. 

           Itappearedthatthesongwasnotacomicsongatall. ItwasaboutayounggirlwholivedintheHartzMountains,andwhohadgivenupherlifetosaveherlover’ssoul; andhedied,andmetherspiritintheair;andthen,inthelastverse,hejiltedherspirit,andwentonwithanotherspirit—I’mnotquitesureofthedetails,butitwassomethingverysad,Iknow. HerrBoschensaidhehadsungitoncebeforetheGermanEmperor,andhe(theGermanEmperor)hadsobbedlikealittlechild. He(HerrBoschen)saiditwasgenerallyacknowledgedtobeoneofthemosttragicandpatheticsongsintheGermanlanguage. 

           Itwasatryingsituationforus—verytrying. Thereseemedtobenoanswer. Welookedaroundforthetwoyoungmenwhohaddonethisthing,buttheyhadleftthehouseinanunostentatiousmannerimmediatelyaftertheendofthesong. 

           Thatwastheendofthatparty. Ineversawapartybreakupsoquietly,andwithsolittlefuss. Weneversaidgood-nighteventooneanother. Wecamedownstairsoneatatime,walkingsoftly,andkeepingtheshadyside.