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Before long, a bonfire was built and around it we mingled – British khaki and German grey. I must say, the Germans were the better dressed, with fresh uniforms for the holiday.
Only a couple of our men knew German, but more of the Germans knew English. I asked one of them why that was so.
“Because many have worked in England!” he said. “Before all this, I was a waiter at the Hotel Cecil. Perhaps I waited on your table!”
“Perhaps you did!” I said, laughing.
Another German had been a porter at Victoria Station. He showed me a picture of his family back in Munich. It was so lovely, I told him I would like to meet his family members someday. He happily gave me his family’s address.
“Because many have worked in England!” he said. “Before all this, I was a waiter at the Hotel Cecil. Perhaps I waited on your table!”
“Perhaps you did!” I said, laughing.
Another German had been a porter at Victoria Station. He showed me a picture of his family back in Munich. It was so lovely, I told him I would like to meet his family members someday. He happily gave me his family’s address.
Explanation:
Soon after, a bonfire was made. Around it, British khaki and German grey sat together. Then the British soldier wrote that the Germans were the better-dressed, with new holiday uniforms. As it was Christmas Eve, the Germans might have decided to wear new dresses. On the other hand, compared to the khaki, the grey colour seemed to be good looking.
Bonfire
The British soldier then stated that only a couple of his men knew German. On the other hand, most of the Germans knew English very well. So he asked one of the members from the Germans why it was like that. Later, one of the Germans said that many of his people had worked in England. Then he said that earlier, he had worked as a waiter in Hotel Cecil. Also, he said if the British soldier had previously visited the same hotel, he would have waited at his table. After hearing that, the British soldier laughed and said he might have met him earlier.
Meanwhile, another German said that he had been working as a porter at Victoria Station. He showed him a photograph of his family in Munich. The British soldier then told him that he would like to meet his family members someday because it was wonderful to see the happy family. Later, the German man happily provided him with the address of his family.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Bonfire | A large open-air fire used for burning rubbish or as part of a celebration |
2 | Mingle | Move among and engage with others at a social function |
3 | Khaki | A strong cotton or wool fabric of a dull brownish-yellow colour, used especially in military clothing |
4 | Waiter | A man whose job is to serve customers at their tables in a restaurant |
5 | Porter | A person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially in a railway station, airport, hotel, or market |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-9. The Christmas Truce- Aaron Shepard (pp. 126-131). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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