PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick
 

1-23-03

Ihr liewe Leit:

   Heit gehne mer zerrick zu de Yaahrbicher vun der Pennslvaanisch Deitsch Gesellschaft, desmol es dritt Yaahrbuch vun 1893. Es Schtick hesst "Hamback Arrigel Bisness" un waar vum Parre F. J. Schantz gschriwwe.
   Im Yaahr 1883 iss emol ee Daag en Parre imme Schteddel in Pennsylveeni amme gude Friend seiner Affiss hiegeloffe. Der Friend hot ihm gerufe er sott neikume. Wu er drin waar, hot der Mann die Dier zugemacht un zum Parre gsaat, "Parre, ich will dir ebbes saage, awwer du darrefscht zu nimmand nix saage. Ich grick eblang en Arrigel , en gudi Arrigel, un sie koscht mich nuscht (yuscht) elf Daaler, awwer ich muss die Express bezaahle. Ich hab's Geld schunn fattgeschickt un ich hab en Babier ass sie kummt. Du kannscht es Babier sehne. Do iss es."

   Uff des saagt der Parre, "Ich bin bang do bischt gehambackt. Du kannscht ken Arrigel kaafe die ebbes nutz iss fer elf Daaler."


  "Ich bin awwer net gehambackt," daagt der Mann. Wann du nix devun saagscht, dann will ich dir saage wie es kummt ass mich die Arrigel nuscht elf Daaler un die Express koscht. Der Weg ass ich die Arrigel so wolfel grick iss der. En Weilche zerrick hawwich en Brief grickt. In dem iss mir geaffert warre, mir en Arrigel fer elf Daaler zu gewwe, wann ich die Naame vun fimfunzwansich Leit schicke deet die ebel waere en Arrigel zu kaffe, die awwer ken Arrigel odder en Glawier hedde. Ich hab die fimfunzwansich Naame uff en Lischt un hab sie in en Brief geduh mit de elf Daaler.

   "Do kannscht du uff denne Barbiere die voll Disgripschen lese." Der Parre hot die Babiere gelsese. Es war en schee Pikter vun re Arrigel uff eem. Wu der Parre faddich waar mit de Babiere, do hot der Mann widder aagfange zu schwetze, "Parre, ich will dir noch ebbes saage. Wann die Arrigel emol kummt, noh kumm rum. Ich hett gaern dass dud ruff schpiele deetscht, un dei Opinion vunre gewwe." Der Parre hot em Mann verschproche er wott rumkumme wann die Arrigel do waer un sie browiere. Wu der Parre fatt iss, hot der Mann ihm nochemol gsaat, "Saag awwer nix was ich dir gsaat hab wie ich die Arrigel so wolfel grick." Der Parre iss heem un hot nix deheem un sunscht aa narigets vun der Sach ebber ebbes gsaat.

  Nau saug, ihr liewe Leit, ich weess ass es yuscht 1883 waar, awwer hot mer noch in denne Daage en Arrigel fer elf Daaler griege kenne?
   Well, mer misse waarde bis neegscht Woch. Hoffentlich warre mer die schennschte Teene here ass mer schunn seilewes gheert hen.

Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer
 
Dear people:

   Today we are going back to the yearbooks of the Pennsylvania German Society, this time to the third yearbook of 1893. The piece is titled "Humbug Organ Business" and was written by the Pastor F. J. Schantz.

   In the year 1883 a pastor once one day in a village in Pennsylvania walked to a good friend's office. The friend called to him that he should come in. When he was inside, the man closed the door and said to the pastor, "Pastor, I want to tell you something, but you must not say anything to anyone. Before long I'll be getting an organ, a good organ, and it'll cost me only 11 dollars, but I have to pay the delivery charges. I have already sent away the money and I have papers that say it is coming. You can see the papers. Here they are."

   Upon that the pastor says, "I am afraid that you have been humbugged. You can't buy an organ that is worth anything for 11 dollars."

  "But I haven't been humbugged (swindled)," says the man. If you don't tell anything about it, then I will tell you how it happens that the organ cost me only 11 dollars plus delivery charges. The way I got the organ so cheaply is this. A little while ago I got a letter. In it I was offered that I be given an organ for 11 dollars, if I would send them the names of 25 people who would be able to buy an organ, but didn't have an organ or a piano. I put the 25 names in a list and put them in a letter with the 11 dollars.
 

   "Here you can read these papers the full description." The pastor read the papers. There was a nice picture of an organ on one of them. When the pastor was finished with the papers, the man began to talk again. "Pastor, I want to tell you something else. When the organ once comes, then come around. I would like that you would play on it and give your opinion of it." The pastor promised the man that he would come around when the organ was there and try it out. When the pastor was going, the man told him one more time, "Don't say anything about what I told you how I got the organ so cheaply." The pastor went home and said nothing at home and nowhere else about the matter to anyone.


   Now, say, dear people, I know that it was only 1883, but was one able to get even in those days and organ for 11 dollars?


   Well, we'll have to wait till next week. I hope that we'll be hearing the most beautiful tones that we have ever heard in our lives.

Take care,
The Old Professor
 

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