The Tale of Two Bad Mice — Page 3
He put the ham in the middle of the floor, and hit it with the tongs and with the shovel--bang, bang, smash, smash!
Er legte den Schinken in die Mitte des Fußbodens und schlug mit der Zange und mit der Schaufel darauf – bum, bum, krach, krach!
The ham flew all into pieces, for underneath the shiny paint it was made of nothing but plaster!
Der Schinken zerbrach in viele Stücke, denn unter dem glänzenden Anstrich bestand er aus nichts als Gips!
THEN there was no end to the rage and disappointment of Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca.
DA kannte die Wut und Enttäuschung von Tom Thumb und Hunca Munca keine Grenzen.
They broke up the pudding, the lobsters, the pears and the oranges.
Sie zerstörten den Pudding, die Hummer, die Birnen und die Orangen.
As the fish would not come off the plate, they put it into the red-hot crinkly paper fire in the kitchen; but it would not burn either.
Da der Fisch nicht vom Teller losging, legten sie ihn in das rotglühende knisternde Papierfeuer in der Küche; aber er wollte auch nicht brennen.
TOM THUMB went up the kitchen chimney and looked out at the top--there was no soot.
TOM THUMB kletterte den Küchenkamin hinauf und schaute oben heraus – es war kein Ruß vorhanden.
WHILE Tom Thumb was up the chimney, Hunca Munca had another disappointment.
WÄHREND Tom Thumb im Kamin war, erlebte Hunca Munca eine weitere Enttäuschung.
THEN those mice set to work to do all the mischief they could--especially Tom Thumb!
DANN machten sich die Mäuse daran, so viel Unheil wie möglich anzurichten – besonders Tom Thumb!
He took Jane's clothes out of the chest of drawers in her bedroom, and he threw them out of the top floor window.
Er nahm Janes Kleider aus der Kommode in ihrem Schlafzimmer und warf sie aus dem Fenster im obersten Stockwerk.
But Hunca Munca had a frugal mind.
Aber Hunca Munca hatte einen sparsamen Sinn.
After pulling half the feathers out of Lucinda's bolster, she remembered that she herself was in want of a feather bed.
Nachdem sie die Hälfte der Federn aus Lucindas Kopfkissen gezupft hatte, erinnerte sie sich, dass sie selbst ein Federbett benötigte.
WITH Tom Thumb's assistance she carried the bolster downstairs, and across the hearth-rug.
MIT Tom Thumbs Hilfe trug sie das Kopfkissen die Treppe hinunter und über den Kaminvorleger.
It was difficult to squeeze the bolster into the mouse-hole; but they managed it somehow.
Es war schwierig, das Kopfkissen in das Mauseloch zu zwängen; aber irgendwie gelang es ihnen.
Vocabulary
- legte
- Past tense of 'legen'; placed or laid something down.
- Schinken
- Cured or cooked meat from a pig's leg; ham.
- Mitte
- The central point or middle of a space or object.
- Fußbodens
- Genitive form of 'Fußboden'; the floor of a room.
- schlug
- Past tense of 'schlagen'; struck or hit something hard.
- Zange
- A gripping tool with two arms; pliers or tongs.
- Schaufel
- A flat-bladed hand tool used for scooping; a shovel.
- darauf
- Adverb meaning 'on it', 'onto it', or 'thereupon'.
- zerbrach
- Past tense of 'zerbrechen'; broke apart into pieces.
- Stücke
- Plural of 'Stück'; individual pieces or fragments of something.
- denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for' explaining a reason.
- glänzenden
- Adjective in inflected form meaning shiny, gleaming, or lustrous.
- Anstrich
- A coat of paint applied to a surface; surface coating.
- bestand
- Past tense of 'bestehen'; consisted of or was composed of.
- Gips
- A white powdery mineral used in construction; plaster.
- kannte
- Past tense of 'kennen'; knew or was familiar with something.
- Wut
- Intense anger or rage expressed strongly.
- Enttäuschung
- The feeling of disappointment when expectations are not met.
- Grenzen
- Plural of 'Grenze'; limits, boundaries, or borders.
- zerstörten
- Past tense plural of 'zerstören'; destroyed or wrecked things.
- Pudding
- A sweet soft dessert food, often creamy or steamed.
- Hummer
- A large marine crustacean used as a luxury food; lobster.
- Birnen
- Plural of 'Birne'; sweet juicy fruits shaped like a teardrop.
- Orangen
- Plural of 'Orange'; round citrus fruits with orange peel.
- Fisch
- An aquatic animal; also used as food; fish.
- Teller
- A flat dish used for serving or eating food; plate.
- losging
- Past tense of 'losgehen'; came off, separated, or came loose.
- legten
- Past tense plural of 'legen'; placed or laid something down.
- rotglühende
- Adjective meaning red-hot or glowing red with heat.
- knisternde
- Adjective meaning crackling, as a fire or paper makes.
- Papierfeuer
- A fire made from burning paper, typically small and quick.
- Küche
- The room in a home where food is prepared; kitchen.
- wollte
- Past tense of 'wollen'; wanted or wished to do something.
- brennen
- To be on fire or to burn; to combust.
- kletterte
- Past tense of 'klettern'; climbed up using hands and feet.
- Küchenkamin
- The chimney or fireplace belonging to a kitchen.
- hinauf
- Directional adverb meaning 'upward' or 'up' along something.
- schaute
- Past tense of 'schauen'; looked or gazed at something.
- oben
- Adverb meaning 'above', 'at the top', or 'upstairs'.
- heraus
- Directional particle meaning 'out' or 'outward' from inside.
- Ruß
- Black powdery residue deposited by smoke; soot.
- vorhanden
- Adjective meaning present, available, or existing somewhere.
- WÄHREND
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'while' or 'during'.
- Kamin
- A fireplace or chimney structure used for burning fuel.
- erlebte
- Past tense of 'erleben'; experienced or went through something.
- weitere
- Adjective meaning 'further', 'additional', or 'another'.
- Mäuse
- Plural of 'Maus'; small rodents commonly found in homes.
- daran
- Adverb meaning 'at it', 'on it', or 'about it'.
- Unheil
- Harm, mischief, or disaster caused by someone or something.
- möglich
- Adjective meaning possible or feasible under given circumstances.
- anzurichten
- Infinitive of 'anrichten'; to cause or inflict damage or mess.
- besonders
- Adverb meaning 'especially', 'particularly', or 'specifically'.
- nahm
- Past tense of 'nehmen'; took or grabbed something.
- Kleider
- Plural of 'Kleid'; garments or clothes worn by a person.
- Kommode
- A chest of drawers used for storing clothing and items.
- Schlafzimmer
- The room in a home used primarily for sleeping; bedroom.
- warf
- Past tense of 'werfen'; threw or tossed something.
- Fenster
- An opening in a wall fitted with glass; a window.
- obersten
- Superlative adjective form meaning 'topmost' or 'uppermost'.
- Stockwerk
- A floor or level within a multi-story building.
- sparsamen
- Inflected adjective meaning thrifty, frugal, or economical.
- Sinn
- A sense, meaning, or mindset; way of thinking or feeling.
- Nachdem
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'after' introducing a clause.
- Hälfte
- One of two equal parts of something; half.
- Federn
- Plural of 'Feder'; light filaments covering a bird; feathers.
- Kopfkissen
- A cushion used to support the head while sleeping; pillow.
- gezupft
- Past participle of 'zupfen'; plucked or pulled out bit by bit.
- erinnerte
- Past tense of 'erinnern'; reminded or recalled to mind.
- selbst
- Reflexive intensifier meaning 'herself', 'himself', or 'itself'.
- Federbett
- A duvet or quilt filled with feathers for warmth; featherbed.
- benötigte
- Past tense of 'benötigen'; needed or required something.
- Hilfe
- Assistance or support given to someone who needs it; help.
- trug
- Past tense of 'tragen'; carried or bore something.
- Treppe
- A set of steps inside or outside a building; staircase.
- hinunter
- Directional adverb meaning 'downward' or 'down' along something.
- Kaminvorleger
- A mat placed in front of a fireplace; hearthrug.
- schwierig
- Adjective describing something hard to do; difficult.
- Mauseloch
- A small hole in a wall used by mice to enter or exit.
- zwängen
- Infinitive of 'zwängen'; to squeeze or force through a tight space.
- irgendwie
- Adverb meaning 'somehow', 'in some way', or 'anyhow'.
- gelang
- Past tense of 'gelingen'; succeeded or managed to do something.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →