PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

1-16-03

Ihr liewe Leit:

    Heit mache mer middem Kaschbar Hufnagel seim Schreiwes weider:
     "Nau will ich schwetze vun groosse Schlidde. Es waare zwee Satt groosse Schlidde, Yaagschlidde un Blockschlidde. In denne Schlidde waare Geil eigschpannt. Im Yaagschlidde waar oft yuscht ee Gaul gschpannt. Der Schlidde waar net schwer, un der Gaul waar oft en guder Schtroossegaul ass en Meil hot mache kenne in drei Minudde.
   "So en Schlidde waar gut fer wann mer sei Meedel nausgenumme hot. Wann's kalt waar, hot's Meedel als neegscht wedder eem ghockt fer waarem bleiwe. Un wann's mol schtarrig gange iss, hot sie sich ghowe an eem mit zwee Hend ass sie net nausfallt. So liebliche Zeide sin verbei fer uns alde Haahne.
   "Der Blockschlidde waar greesser, un mir hen zwee Geil neigschpannt un ebmols vier Geil. Oft hen mer schwer Schtofft uff der Schlidde geladde, so wie Eis, Kohle, Weeze, un so weider. Noh iss es abgange.
   "Owets hen mir ebmols en Schlidde Paerdi gemacht. Mir hen Schtroh in die Schliddebax. Noh hen mir uns all neighockt, Buwe un Meed darrich nanner, noh en Latt Blaenkets uff uns. Noh iss es Singe un Lache abgange. Die Leit hen uns als meileweit heere kenne. Wann's recht kalt waar un mer hot neegscht ghockt, un der Vollmond Hot so lieblich gscheint, hot mer ebmols ebbes gsaat zum Meedel wu newich eem ghockt hot ass mer sei Lewes nimmi zerricknemme hot kenne.
   "Un mer waar aa ken Zeit reddi fer es zerrick zu nemme. Nau guckt mer sie oft aa un denkt zerrick an en Schlidde Paerdi wie mir alle zwee zaart un yung waare. Un mer danke Gott heit noch fer selli Schlidde Paerdi.
   "Awwer nau will ich noch ebbes dezu verzehle. Mer kann Schliddefaahr unne Schlidde-un unne Schnee! En alder Kall hot gholfe en Schindeldach uff die Scheier duh. Sie waare gans drowwe am Schpitze vum Dach. Noh hot der alt Kall aafange Schliddefaahre iwwer's Dach nunner. Er iss als weider nunnergerutscht, wie lenger wie schlimmer. Er hot gebrowiert nunnerhacke darrich die Schindle mit me Beil, awwer er hot's allemol verfehlt. Wie sei Fiess iwwer's Dach naus gschtanne hen, hot er's Beil fescht neighackt. Noh hot er gsaat, 'Buwe, sell iss der Weg fer's zu duh. Nau bringt en Leeder bei.'
   "Selli Satt Schliddefaahre deet ich nau schrecklich hasse."

Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

   Today we will continue with Kaspar Hufnagel's piece of writing:

"Now I want to talk about the big sleds (usually called sleighs in English). There were two kinds of sleighs, fast sleighs and logging sleighs. To these sleighs were hitched horses. To the fast sleigh often only one horse was hitched. The sleigh was not heavy and the horse was often a good road horse that could go a mile in three minutes.
   "Such a sleigh was good for taking out your girl. When it was cold, the girl would sit right next to you in order to keep warm. And if you started to go fast, she held on to you with both hands so that she would not fall out. Such dear times are past for us old roosters.


"The logging sleigh was larger, and we hitched up two horses and sometimes four horses. Often we loaded heavy materials onto the sleigh, such as ice, coal, wheat and so forth. Then we started off.

"In the evenings we sometimes had a sleighing party. We put straw into the box (body) of the sleigh. Then we all sat down in it, boys and girls all together, then a lot of blankets on top of us. Then the singing and the laughing started. The people could hear us for miles around. When it was right cold and we sat right close to each other, and the full moon shone so dearly, you sometimes said things to the girl sitting next to you, which you could never again take back.
   "And one wasn't ever ready to take it back either. Now one looks at her often and thinks back to the sleighing party when the two of us were young and tender. And we still thank God today for those sleighing parties.
   "But now I want to tell you about something else. You can go sleigh riding without a sleigh and without snow! An old fellow helped to put a shingle roof on a barn. They were all the way up on the ridge of the roof. Suddenly the old fellow started to sled down over the roof. He kept sliding further and further down, the longer the more terrible. He tried to hack down through the shingles with a hatchet, but he failed every time. Just when his feet stuck out over the edge of the roof, he chopped down into the shingles. Then he said, 'Boys, that's the way to do it. Now bring the ladder around.'

  "That kind of sledding I would now hate terribly."

Take Care
The Old Professor

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updated 3-15-2007 paf