Dorothy Pemberton had lived alone in Bramble Cottage for five years (Dorothy Pemberton hatte fünf Jahre lang allein in Bramble Cottage gelebt), ever since her husband Geoffrey passed away (seit ihr Mann Geoffrey verstorben war; to pass away — versterben, dahinscheiden). She was seventy-two (sie war zweiundsiebzig), small and neat (klein und adrett; neat — ordentlich, adrett, gepflegt), with silver hair and reading glasses (mit silbernem Haar und einer Lesebrille) that she lost at least three times a day (die sie mindestens dreimal am Tag verlor; to lose — verlieren; /hier:/ verlegen).
“You need company (Sie brauchen Gesellschaft; company — Gesellschaft, Begleitung),” her neighbour Margaret Wells said every Tuesday over tea (sagte ihre Nachbarin Margaret Wells jeden Dienstag beim Tee). “A cat (eine Katze), perhaps (vielleicht).”
“Cats ignore you (Katzen ignorieren einen; you — /hier:/ man, einen),” Dorothy replied (erwiderte Dorothy). “I get enough of that from the postman (davon bekomme ich schon genug vom Postboten).”
A Nose for Trouble
Dorothy Pemberton had lived alone in Bramble Cottage for five years, ever since her husband Geoffrey passed away. She was seventy-two, small and neat, with silver hair and reading glasses that she lost at least three times a day.
“You need company,” her neighbour Margaret Wells said every Tuesday over tea. “A cat, perhaps.”
“Cats ignore you,” Dorothy replied. “I get enough of that from the postman.”
Margaret ran the village shop in Little Mossley (Margaret führte den Dorfladen in Little Mossley; to run — laufen; /hier:/ führen, leiten), a Cotswolds village so small it didn’t appear on most maps (einem Dorf in den Cotswolds /Hügellandschaft in Südwestengland/, das so klein war, dass es auf den meisten Karten nicht auftauchte; to appear — erscheinen, auftauchen). She was a practical woman (sie war eine praktisch veranlagte Frau) who solved most problems with strong tea and firm opinions (die die meisten Probleme mit starkem Tee und festen Ansichten löste; firm — fest, entschieden; opinion — Meinung, Ansicht).
One October morning (an einem Oktobermorgen), Margaret arrived at Bramble Cottage with a large cardboard box (erschien Margaret mit einem großen Pappkarton in Bramble Cottage; cardboard — Pappe, Karton).
“What’s this (was ist das)?” Dorothy asked (fragte Dorothy).
“Open it (machen Sie ihn auf).”
Inside the box was the saddest-looking dog (in dem Karton saß der traurigste Hund: «der am traurigsten aussehende Hund») Dorothy had ever seen (den Dorothy je gesehen hatte). He was brown and white (er war braun und weiß), with ears so long they nearly touched the ground (mit Ohren, die so lang waren, dass sie beinahe den Boden berührten; ground — Boden, Erde) and eyes (und /mit/ Augen) that seemed to carry the weight of the entire world (die das Gewicht der ganzen Welt zu tragen schienen; entire — ganz, gesamt).
Margaret ran the village shop in Little Mossley, a Cotswolds village so small it didn’t appear on most maps. She was a practical woman who solved most problems with strong tea and firm opinions.
One October morning, Margaret arrived at Bramble Cottage with a large cardboard box.
“What’s this?” Dorothy asked.
“Open it.”
Inside the box was the saddest-looking dog Dorothy had ever seen. He was brown and white, with ears so long they nearly touched the ground and eyes that seemed to carry the weight of the entire world.
“He’s a basset hound (es ist ein Bassethund; hound — Jagdhund),” Margaret explained (erklärte Margaret). “The rescue centre in Stow was closing (das Tierheim in Stow machte dicht: «schloss»; rescue — Rettung) and nobody wanted him (und niemand wollte ihn haben). He’s five years old (er ist fünf Jahre alt) and his name is Humphrey (und er heißt Humphrey).”
“I can’t take a dog (ich kann keinen Hund nehmen). I’m too old for walks (ich bin zu alt zum Spazierengehen).”
“Basset hounds barely walk (Bassethunde gehen kaum spazieren). They stroll (sie schlendern; to stroll — schlendern, bummeln). Very slowly (ganz langsam). You’ll be perfect for each other (Sie werden perfekt zueinander passen; each other — einander, zueinander).”
“He’s a basset hound,” Margaret explained. “The rescue centre in Stow was closing and nobody wanted him. He’s five years old and his name is Humphrey.”
“I can’t take a dog. I’m too old for walks.”
“Basset hounds barely walk. They stroll. Very slowly. You’ll be perfect for each other.”
Humphrey looked up at Dorothy (Humphrey blickte zu Dorothy auf; to look up — aufblicken, hochsehen). He made a sound (er gab einen Laut von sich; sound — Laut, Geräusch) somewhere between a sigh and a groan (irgendwo zwischen einem Seufzer und einem Stöhnen). It was the most dramatically miserable noise (es war das dramatisch jämmerlichste Geräusch; miserable — elend, jämmerlich; noise — Geräusch, Lärm) she had ever heard (das sie je gehört hatte).
“Oh dear (ach herrje; dear — /hier:/ Ausruf des Bedauerns),” Dorothy said (sagte Dorothy). “He’s terribly unhappy (er ist ja schrecklich unglücklich; terribly — schrecklich, furchtbar).”
“He always looks like that (er sieht immer so aus; like that — so, auf diese Weise). It’s his face (das ist /einfach/ sein Gesicht).”
Humphrey looked up at Dorothy. He made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan. It was the most dramatically miserable noise she had ever heard.
“Oh dear,” Dorothy said. “He’s terribly unhappy.”
“He always looks like that. It’s his face.”
Dorothy reached down (Dorothy beugte sich hinunter; to reach down — hinuntergreifen, sich hinabbeugen) and scratched behind one enormous ear (und kraulte ihn hinter einem seiner riesigen Ohren; to scratch — kratzen, kraulen). Humphrey’s tail moved slowly (Humphreys Schwanz bewegte sich langsam), like a windscreen wiper on its lowest setting (wie ein Scheibenwischer auf niedrigster Stufe; windscreen — Windschutzscheibe; setting — Einstellung, Stufe).
“One week (eine Woche),” Dorothy agreed (stimmte Dorothy zu; to agree — zustimmen, einwilligen). “A trial (auf Probe; trial — Probe, Versuch).”
The trial ended approximately four hours later (die Probezeit endete etwa vier Stunden später; approximately — ungefähr, etwa), when something remarkable happened (als etwas Bemerkenswertes geschah; to happen — geschehen, passieren).
Dorothy reached down and scratched behind one enormous ear. Humphrey’s tail moved slowly, like a windscreen wiper on its lowest setting.
“One week,” Dorothy agreed. “A trial.”
The trial ended approximately four hours later, when something remarkable happened.
Dorothy had lost her reading glasses (Dorothy hatte ihre Lesebrille verlegt). Again (schon wieder). She had searched the kitchen (sie hatte die Küche durchsucht; to search — durchsuchen, absuchen), the sitting room (das Wohnzimmer; sitting room — Wohnzimmer), and the downstairs bathroom (und das Bad im Erdgeschoss; downstairs — unten, im Erdgeschoss). She was on her hands and knees (sie kniete gerade auf allen vieren: «war auf ihren Händen und Knien») checking under the sofa (und schaute unter dem Sofa nach; to check — nachschauen, prüfen) when Humphrey padded over to the back door (als Humphrey zur Hintertür tappte; to pad — tappen, leise trotten). He pressed his nose to the gap at the bottom (er drückte seine Nase an den Spalt unten; gap — Spalt, Lücke; bottom — unteres Ende, Unterseite) and began sniffing with extraordinary concentration (und begann mit außergewöhnlicher Konzentration zu schnüffeln; to begin — beginnen, anfangen; to sniff — schnüffeln, schnuppern).
Then he walked to the garden (dann ging er in den Garten), straight to the bench beside the rose bushes (geradewegs zur Bank neben den Rosensträuchern; straight — gerade, direkt; bush — Strauch, Busch), and sat down next to a pair of reading glasses (und setzte sich neben eine Lesebrille) lying in the grass (die im Gras lag; to lie — liegen).
Dorothy had lost her reading glasses. Again. She had searched the kitchen, the sitting room, and the downstairs bathroom. She was on her hands and knees checking under the sofa when Humphrey padded over to the back door. He pressed his nose to the gap at the bottom and began sniffing with extraordinary concentration.
Then he walked to the garden, straight to the bench beside the rose bushes, and sat down next to a pair of reading glasses lying in the grass.
“My glasses (meine Brille)!” Dorothy stared (Dorothy starrte ihn an; to stare — starren, anstarren). “I must have left them there this morning (die muss ich heute Morgen hier liegen lassen haben; to leave — lassen, hinterlassen). How on earth did you know (woher um alles in der Welt hast du das gewusst; on earth — um alles in der Welt: «auf Erden»)?”
Humphrey looked at her with his sorrowful eyes (Humphrey sah sie mit seinen kummervollen Augen an; sorrowful — kummervoll, betrübt; sorrow — Kummer, Leid). Then he yawned enormously (dann gähnte er ausgiebig; enormously — enorm, gewaltig), lay down on the lawn (legte sich auf den Rasen; to lie down — sich hinlegen), and went to sleep (und schlief ein; to go to sleep — einschlafen).
“My glasses!” Dorothy stared. “I must have left them there this morning. How on earth did you know?”
Humphrey looked at her with his sorrowful eyes. Then he yawned enormously, lay down on the lawn, and went to sleep.
Margaret was not surprised (Margaret war nicht überrascht) when Dorothy telephoned that evening (als Dorothy an diesem Abend anrief). “So you’re keeping him (Sie behalten ihn also)?”
“Keeping him (ihn behalten)? Margaret, this dog is extraordinary (Margaret, dieser Hund ist außergewöhnlich). He found my glasses in the garden (er hat meine Brille im Garten gefunden). In thirty seconds (in dreißig Sekunden). I’d been looking for an hour (ich hatte eine Stunde lang gesucht; to look for — suchen).”
“He probably just wandered outside (wahrscheinlich ist er einfach nach draußen gewandert; to wander — umherwandern, streifen).”
“He went straight to them (er ist schnurstracks zu ihr gegangen). Straight (schnurstracks). As if he could smell them (als könnte er sie riechen).”
Margaret was not surprised when Dorothy telephoned that evening. “So you’re keeping him?”
“Keeping him? Margaret, this dog is extraordinary. He found my glasses in the garden. In thirty seconds. I’d been looking for an hour.”
“He probably just wandered outside.”
“He went straight to them. Straight. As if he could smell them.”
Margaret was sceptical (Margaret war skeptisch). But over the following week (doch im Laufe der folgenden Woche), Humphrey found Dorothy’s purse behind the bread bin (fand Humphrey Dorothys Portemonnaie hinter dem Brotkasten; purse — Geldbörse, Portemonnaie; bread — Brot; bin — Behälter, Kasten), her favourite pen inside the umbrella stand (ihren Lieblingsstift im Schirmständer; pen — Stift, Feder; umbrella — Regenschirm), and the television remote under a cushion (und die Fernbedienung unter einem Kissen; cushion — Kissen, Polster) that Dorothy was absolutely certain she had already checked (unter dem Dorothy ganz sicher schon nachgesehen hatte; certain — sicher, gewiss).
By Sunday (bis Sonntag), Dorothy was convinced (war Dorothy überzeugt). She had not adopted a dog (sie hatte keinen Hund adoptiert; to adopt — adoptieren, annehmen). She had adopted a detective (sie hatte einen Detektiv adoptiert).
Margaret was sceptical. But over the following week, Humphrey found Dorothy’s purse behind the bread bin, her favourite pen inside the umbrella stand, and the television remote under a cushion that Dorothy was absolutely certain she had already checked.
By Sunday, Dorothy was convinced. She had not adopted a dog. She had adopted a detective.
“Humphrey,” she said (sagte sie), watching him sleeping by the fire (und sah ihm zu, wie er am Kamin schlief) with his ears spread across the rug like a velvet tablecloth (die Ohren wie ein samtenes Tischtuch über den Teppich gebreitet; rug — Teppich, Vorleger; velvet — Samt), “I think you and I are going to get along very well indeed (ich glaube, wir beide werden uns ganz ausgezeichnet verstehen; to get along — sich verstehen, auskommen; indeed — in der Tat, wirklich).”
Humphrey opened one eye (Humphrey öffnete ein Auge), grunted (grunzte; to grunt — grunzen, brummen), and went back to sleep (und schlief weiter; to go back to sleep — wieder einschlafen). He understood perfectly (er hatte es genau verstanden).
“Humphrey,” she said, watching him sleeping by the fire with his ears spread across the rug like a velvet tablecloth, “I think you and I are going to get along very well indeed.”
Humphrey opened one eye, grunted, and went back to sleep. He understood perfectly.