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What’s with this “Wren” thing?
The oldest extant version of the fable
we
are presenting here appeared in 1913 in the first volume of a two-volume anthology
of Low
Saxon folktales (Plattdeutsche
Volksmärchen “Low German Folktales”)
collected by Wilhelm Wisser (1843–1935). Read
more ...
Achterhoek
Low Saxon
Listen to
this translation (with non-native pronunciation):
Et Nettelkönninksken hadd sien Nüst in de Wagenlose. Nu bünt de Olders op ne
Kehre allebeide utefloggene ewest – se wolden wat te ääten fœr äähre Jungen
halen en hebbet de Kleenkes helemaole allene achterelaotene.
Nao een Tiedken kümp et Vader-Nettelkönninksken wäär thuus. “Wat is hier gebœrt?”
segg e, “Well heff u wat edaone, Kindere? Éj bünt jo helemaole in de Warre.”
“Ach, Vader”, sään se, “der quam hier so nett sonnen groten Bumann vœrbéj. Den
soch der so quaod en naar ut. He keek met siene grote Ogene in üns Nüst. Den
heff
üns so bange maket.”
“So”, sää de Vader, “waor is he blevvene?”
“Bo’”, sään se, “He is daor hen egaone.”
“Wach maor”, sää de Vader, “Ik gaoh em achternao.” Dann flügg e der achterran.
As he den Hook ümmekümp, löpp daor ’ne Leeu.
Maor et Nettelkönninksken is neet bange. He strick dale op den Leeu siene Rügge
en beginnt em uttescheldene: “Wat hest du béj mien Huus te sœken”, segg e “en
miene
Kleinen bange te makene?!”
Den Leeu tröck sik der nix van an en löpp gewohn dœr.
Dann geht he noch völle harder tekehr, et kleine
Upschepperken. “Du heste daor nix te maken, segg ik déj! En aste noch is terügge
kümmste”, segg e “dann saste wall is sehn! Ik do et neet gäärne,” segg e, en
daorbéj steck e sien eene Been op, “maor dann schopp ik déj de Rügge in!”
Dann flügg e wäär nao sien Nüst. “So, Kindere”, segg e, “Den hebb ik dat
afelehrt. Den kümp neet wäär terügge.”
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