PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

2-24-00

Ihr liewe Leit:
Heit mache mer weider middem Brunner seim Gedicht vum George Washington:

Der George hot noh den Baam umghackt,
Un des dutt net vergesse:
Er hot en grosser Hunger ghatt
Un sich emol sattgesse.
   Noh wie sei Paepp heemkumme iss
   Un wie er noch de Sheds iss,
   Do hot er a graad gsehne ass
   Datt ebbes arrig letz iss.
Datt hot sei Kaschebaam gelege,
So graad wie'n Insching Peil,
Un yuscht en glee Schtick ab do waar
Der George mit seinem Beil.
   Do leit der Honichkaschebaam,
   Mit dem waar ich so schtolls,
   Un nau iss er gaar nix meh waert
   Except fer Kindlinghols.
Sei Paepp waar bees un hot ihm gsaat,
"Kumm her, mei schlimmer Bu,
Do leit mei scheener Kaschebaam,
Hoscht du des Ding geduh?"
   Der George hot gsaat, "Ich hab's geduh,
   Ich kann gewiss net liege."
   Un hot geglaabt er deet fer schur
   Desmol Ohrfeige griege.
"Der Kaschebaam, der greppt mich doch
Fer'n lange, lange Weil.
Ferwas hoscht du ihn nunnerghackt
Mit deim verroschte Beil?"
   Der George hot zu seim Vadder gsaat,
   "Graad den Weg is des kumme:
   Ich hab die Ax net finnekenne,
   Noh hawwich's Beil genumme."
"Well," saagt der Vadder zu seim George,
"Duh gaar ken Leit bedriege.
Hack liewer all die Kaschebeem
Als yuscht een Mann beliege."
   Der George hot net viel Chaense ghatt;
   Ihr groosse Buwe hett.
   Der George hot gaar net liege kenne,
   Ihr kennt - duht awwer net!

   Sell iss gewiss en gudi Lehr!
   Awwer in ihr Gedicht "Der George un sei Hatchet" hot die Louise A. Weitzel (1862-1934) die do vier Linye gschriwwe:

Es iss en scheeni Schtori-
   Wann ebber's glaawe kann-
So gebt's ken Bieweli heitzudaags,
   Kee Bieweli un kee Mann.

   Awwer ihr Eldre datt draus wisst ass die Weitzeln en Liegnern iss, gell?

Macht's gut
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:
   Today we will continue with Brunner's poem about George Washington.

George then cut down the tree,
And don't forget this:
He had a great hunger
And for once ate himself full.
   Then when his Dad came home
   And when he went out to the sheds,
   He just then saw
   That something was very wrong.
There lay his cherry tree,
As straight as an Indian arrow,
And just a little piece away was
George with his hatchet.

   There lies the honeycherry tree,
   I was so proud of it,
   And now it isn't worth anything
   Except for kindling wood.

His father was angry and said to him,
"Come here, my bad boy,
Here lies my beautiful cherry tree,
Did you do this thing?"
   George said, "I did it,
   I can surely not lie."
   And though he would for sure
   Get a beating this time.

"That cherry tree, it'll anger me yet
For a long , long time.
Why did you chop it down
With your rusty hatchet?"

   George said to his father,
   It came about just this way:
   I couldn't find the axe,
   So I took the hatchet."

"Well," says the father to his George,
"Don't betray any people.
Rather chop all the cherry trees
Than lie to just one man."
   George didn't have many chances;
   You grown boys do.
   George could not lie at all,
   You (big boys) can - but don't!"

   That is certainly a good lesson!
   But in her poem "George and his Hatchet" Louise A. Weitzel (1862-1934) wrote these four lines:
It is a nice story-

   If one can believe it-
There is no such boy these days,
   No boys and no men.

   But you parents out there know that Weitzel is a liar, right!?

Take care,
The Old Professor

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updated 3-15-2007 paf