An accident again changed the current of my ideas. when i was about fifteen years old we had retired to our house near belrive, when we witnessed a most violent and terrible thunderstorm. it advanced from behind the mountains of jura, and the thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens. i remained, while the storm lasted, watching its progress with curiosity and delight. as i stood at the door, on a sudden i beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. when we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner. it was not splintered by the shock, but entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood. i never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. what has the author done to prepare the reader in this passage? she has described something wonderful, preparing the reader for a happy story. she has described something beautiful, preparing the reader for a flowery tale. she has described something romantic, preparing the reader for a loving exchange. she has described something terrible, preparing the reader for a tragic event.