The Overall Boys in Switzerland
Page 6
_There was no car on this side of the glacier, but therewere long ladders to help them over the steepest places_]
They had to climb over great ridges of rocks, which the glacier hadtorn away from the higher mountains years and years before. These rockshad been brought slowly down on the ice, and dropped along the sidesand end of the glacier.
At last the party came to the place where the sun and the warm windschanged the glacier from a river of ice to a river of water.
"Well, boys," said their father, "we have had a look at the outsideof the glacier; now let us take a look at the inside of it." So a manthrew warm blankets over their shoulders, and they entered a long,narrow passage through a hole in the ice wall.
This passage led into a beautiful, blue ice room. The floor was ice,the walls were ice, and the ceiling was ice. There was no lamp in theroom, and yet it was not dark.
"Isn't it beautiful!" cried Joe. "Think of it, we are in the center ofa great ice river. There is nothing but ice all around us."
"I know it," said Jack. "I am sure the glaciers are the most wonderfulthings in Switzerland, but I have stayed inside of this one as long asI want to. I should rather be tramping."
AUF WIEDERSEHEN]
AUF WIEDERSEHEN
And so they tramped on. They spent several days in the lovely villageof Grindelwald. They explored glaciers. They saw waterfalls nearly athousand feet high. They played games with the village boys and girls.
They even went almost to the top of the great Jungfrau mountain, overits wonderful railroad. The highest part of this railroad is builtthrough a tunnel, for the surface of the mountain is covered alwayswith snow and ice.
The train carried them nearly twelve thousand feet above the ocean.They were twice as high up as they were on the top of Mount Rigi. Therewere miles and miles of snow and ice all around them, and great banksof snow-white clouds in the blue sky close above.
_They had glimpses into deep, narrow valleys_]
They could see many high peaks covered with snow fields and glaciers,and lower mountains covered with green forests and alpine pastures.They had glimpses into deep, narrow valleys with muddy rivers rushingthrough them. Here and there were big, broad valleys dotted withvillages and farms, and beautiful blue lakes, while the busy railroadtrains looked like worms creeping over the hills and down the valleys.It was a wonderful view.
The Overall Boys learned more about the geography of Switzerland in afew minutes from this high mountain than they had learned during allthe days of travel lower down. They never will forget what they sawwhile there.
But the vacation days were over at last. The boys had visited only asmall part of the wonderful little country, but they had seen enough ofit to make them want to spend another summer vacation in just the sameway. They are sure that Switzerland is the very finest playground inthe whole world, and a great many other people think so, too.
As the train hurried them far away from the high, snow-coveredmountains, the boys stood by the car windows, watching and enjoyingeverything.
They passed ripe grain fields, in which wild scarlet poppies and tallbluebells were growing.
Close by these wild-flower gardens there was often a row of tinychalets, where swarms of bees lived and made their delicious honey.
The train passed also through many villages of larger chalets, withbroad red roofs and vine-covered balconies. In front of these prettyhomes sat women and little girls working at their lace and fineembroidery.
_They saw boys with goatskin book sacks on their backs_]
Now and then they saw groups of small boys carrying goatskin book sackson their backs, for the short summer vacation was over, and the Swissschools had begun.
In a flower garden, near one of the stations, a mountain dwarf waveda Swiss flag in farewell to the passing travelers. But the nicestgood-by came from a row of boys and girls sitting on a fence near therailroad track. They were selling wild flowers to travelers, as thetrains stopped at their station. They shouted the names in German,French, and English--"Alpine roses, primroses, edelweiss, daisies,buttercups!"--and they eagerly begged the travelers to buy.
Of course Jack and Joe bought their hands full, for these might be thelast Swiss flowers they would have for a very long time.
As the train moved on, the boys and girls, sitting on the fence, wavedtheir hands and shouted, "Auf Wiedersehen! Glueckliche Reise!"
And the Overall Boys shouted back, "Good-by! Good-by, until we meetagain!"
A LETTER.]
A LETTER
_Dear Boys and Girls:_
_I expect you will agree with the Overall Boys that nowhere else canthere be quite so many wonderful things to see and to do, as there arein Switzerland._
_Massachusetts and New Hampshire are very small states, you know, buttogether they are larger than the whole of Switzerland, and more peoplelive in these two small states than live in Switzerland to-day._
_One fourth of this famous little country is covered with lakes andrivers and glaciers, and nearly another fourth with great forests,while a large part of the remaining land is used as pasturage for amillion and a half cows._
_Raising cows and making cheese is the principal industry, but theclever Swiss people have many other prosperous industries as well.They make fine silks and ribbons and marvelous little watches and musicboxes and jewelry and delicious sweet chocolate. Some of the men dofine wood carving, and the women do beautiful embroidery._
_One of the most important lines of work is hotel keeping. Manythousands of strangers visit Switzerland every year. In winter they gothere for the skating and sleighing and snowshoeing and skiing and toenjoy the bracing mountain air. In summer they do what the Overall Boysdid, besides many other interesting things._
_Travelers spend so much money in Switzerland, and the people who livethere work so hard, they have become the richest people in the world._
_Swiss schools are especially fine. Children are obliged to attendschool from the time they are six years old until they are fifteen orsixteen years old._
_In summer the schools begin at seven o'clock in the morning and inwinter at eight o'clock, holding four hours. During the winter monthsthere is also a session of three hours each afternoon in the week,excepting two. On these two afternoons the boys are given other work todo, and the girls attend sewing classes. They have no regular holiday,but must go to school six days every week. The boys do a great deal ofgymnasium work in the winter, which keeps them strong and trains themto be mountain guides and hunters and herdsmen._
_There are three national languages in Switzerland--German and Frenchand Italian. German is used much more than French or Italian, butnearly all Swiss boys and girls learn to speak at least two languages.Sometimes they learn three or four. In fact it is said that Swisspeople learn to speak languages more perfectly than any other peoplein the world. They are certainly among the best educated and mostcourageous people in the world._
_The Overall Boys learned a great deal while traveling in thatbeautiful little country, and they are glad to share it all with you._
_Sincerely your friend_, EULALIE OSGOOD GROVER
[Transcriber's Notes: There diacritical marks that cannot be representedin plain text are displayed using the following mark-up:
Bold text is surrounded by +addition signs+ and italic text issurrounded by underscores.
If the symbol is before the letter or letters in the brackets then thesymbol is above the letters, if it is after the letter or letters inthe brackets, it is below the letters.
Markup Signifies [)x] = breve [:x] = umlaut [.x] = dot [=x] = macron [+x] = tack [~x] = tilde [^x] = caret [nj] = diagraph nj]
A LIST OF DIFFICULT WORDS
Diacritically marked according to Webster's New International Dictionary
KEY TO DIACRITICAL MARKS
+[)a]+
as in +[)a]m+ +ae+ as in +aerm+ +_[.a]_+ as in +_[.a]_bound'+ +[.a]+ as in +[.a]sk+ +[=a]+ as in +f[=a]te+ +[+a]+ as in +sen'[+a]te+ +_[)a]_+ as in +mad'_[)a]_m+ +[)e]+ as in +[)e]nd+ +[+e]+ as in +[+e] vent'+ +[~e]+ as in +h[~e]r+ +_[)e]_+ as in +re'c_[)e]_nt+ +[=e]+ as in +[=e]ve+ +[)i]+ as in +[)i]t+ +[=i]+ as in +[=i]ce+ +o+ as in +or+ +[+o]+ as in +[+o] bey'+ +[=o]+ as in +[=o]ld+ +_[)o]_+ as in +c_[)o]_n nect'+ +[)u]+ as in +[)u]p+ +_[)u]_+ as in +cir'c_[)u]_s+ +u+ as in +furl+ +[+u]+ as in +[+u]nite'+ +ue+ something like prolonged +[+u]+ as in +[+u]nite'+ +[)oo]+ as in +f[)oo]t+ +[=oo]+ as in +f[=oo]d+ +oi+ as in +oil+ +ou+ as in +out+ +[+tu)]+ for _tu_ as in +na'[+tu)]re+ +ch+ as in +ma chine'+ +[nj]+ (like _ng_): for _n_ before the sound _k_ or hard _g_ as in +ba[nj]k+ +'+ for voice glide as in +par'd'n+
_Aar_ (aer) _accepted_ ([)a]k s[)e]pt'[)e]d) _alpine_ ([)a]l'p[)i]n) _Alps_ ([)a]lps) _Altdorf_ (aelt'dorf) _Antwerp_ ([)a]nt'w[~e]rp) _arched_ (aercht) _Austria_ (os'tr[)i] _[.a]_) _automobile_ (o't[+o] m[=o]'b[)i]l) _Axenberg_ (aeks''n b[)e]rg) _Axenstrasse_ (aeks''n strae's_[)e]_)
_Belgium_ (b[)e]l'j[)i] [)u]m) _Bern_ (b[^u]rn) _bishop_ (b[)i]sh'_[)u]_p) _blizzard_ (bl[)i]z'_[.a]_rd) _botany_ (b[)o]t'_[.a]_ n[)i]) _bridge_ (br[)i]j) _Bruenig_ (bruen'[)i]g)
_castle_ (k[.a]s''l) _ceiling_ (s[=e]l'[)i]ng) _celebrating_ (s[)e]l'[+e] br[=a]t'[)i]ng) _chalet_ (sh[.a] l[=a]') _Chinese_ (ch[=i] n[=e]s') _conductor_ (k_[)o]_n d[)u]k't[~e]r) _cuckoo_ (k[)oo]k'[=oo])
_dangerous_ (d[=a]n'j[~e]r _[)u]_s) _dragon_ (dr[)a]g _[)u]_n) _dungeon_ (d[)u]n'j_[)u]_n) _dwarf_ (dworf)
_earthquake_ ([^u]rth'kw[=a]k) _edelweiss_ ([=a]'d_[)e]_l v[=i]s) _embroidery_ ([)e]m broid'[~e]r [)i]) _enemies_ ([)e]n'[+e] m[)i]z) _Europe_ ([+u]'r_[)u]_p) _explore_ ([)e]ks pl[=o]r')
_famous_ (f[=a]'m_[)u]_s) _favorite_ (f[=a]' v[~e]r [)i]t) _figure_ (f[)i]g'[+u]r) _fortunately_ (f[^o]r'[+tu)] n[+a]t l[)i]) _fountain_ (foun't[)i]n) _franc_ (fr[)a][nj]k) _Franz_ (fr[.a]ntz)
_Galilee_ (g[)a]l'[)i] l[=e]) _Gessler_ (g[)e]s'l[~e]r) _glacier_ (gl[=a]'sh[~e]r) _gnaw_ (no) _Gretel_ (gr[)e]'t'l) _Grindlewald_ (gr[)i]n'd[)e]l vaelt)
_Jungfrau_ (y[)oo]ng'frou')
_knapsack_ (n[)a]p's[)a]k)
_language_ (l[)a][nj]'gw[+a]j) _legend_ (l[)e]j'_[)e]_nd) _Lucerne_ (l[+u] surn')
_maiden_ (m[=a]d''n) _Meiringen_ (m[=i]'r[)i]ng _[)e]_n) _miserable_ (m[)i]z'[~e]r _[.a]_ b'l) _museum_ (m[+u] z[=e]'_[)u]_m)
_naughty_ (no't[)i]) _nectar_ (n[)e]k't_[.a]_r)
_pasture_ (p[.a]s'[+tu)]r) _Pilate_ (p[+e]'l[.a]t) _Pilatus_ (p[+e] lae't[)oo]s) _procession_ (pr[+o] s[)e]sh'_[)u]_n) _protected_ (pr[+o] t[)e]kt'[)e]d)
_quaint_ (kw[=a]nt)
_restaurant_ (r[)e]s't[+o] r_[)a]_nt) _Rhine_ (r[=i]n) _Rigi_ (r[=e]'g[+e])
_scenery_ (s[=e]n'[~e]r [)i]) _Scheidegg_ (sh[=i]'d[)e]g) _Sep_ (s[)e]p) _skiing_ (sk[=e]'[)i]ng) _soldier_ (s[=o]l'j[~e]r) _St. Gotthard_ (s[+a]nt g[)o]th'_[.a]_rd) _St. Bernard_ (s[+a]nt bur naerd') _Switzerland_ (sw[)i]t'z[~e]r l_[.a]_nd)
_terrace_ (t[)e]r'[+a]s) _thunder_ (th[)u]n'd[~e]r)
_umbrella_ (um br[)e]l'_[.a]_)
_vineyard_ (v[)i]n'y_[.a]_rd)
_weird_ (w[=e]rd) _Wetterhorn_ (v[)e]t'[~e]r horn')
Approximate pronunciation of German words:
_Ich danke euch allen_ ([)i]ch daen'k[)e] oich ael'[)e]n) _Guten Tag! Glueckliche Reise_ (g[=oo]t'[)e]n taeg! gl[)u]k'l[)i]ch [~e]r r[=i]'z[)e]) _Danke schoen_ (daen'k[)e] shurn) _Auf Wiedersehn_ (ouf v[=e]d'[~e]r z[=a]n')
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.