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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 ...
Tagna’, aniya’ pugad pawpit mareyom garahe. Dasali’ sigam paleyang umma’-ina’
angollo’ kinakan ma anak sigaam, atemban sigam dangan-dangan.
Insa’ teggol tekka umma’ sigam.
“Ayan tauwa ma kam?” yuk na, “Sayyan aminasa ma kaam anak? Sali’ tinawu
tooran kaam?”
“Ya, Umma’, aniya’ tekka mintu lutaw bahau-bahau sadya! Lahi na aesok
tooran katawtaw! Pinamahē’ na mata na amehe ma pugad ta! Tinaw kami kahēmon!”
“Ah, sene’?” yuk umma’ pawpit, “Harap pingga iya?”
“Harap mē’ iya palengngan.”
“Tagad kaam!” yuk umma’ pawpit, “Angapas aku. Daa na kam asusa’ mga anak.
Tauwa ha iya ma aku. Paleyang iya ampa niurul lutaw.”
Palibot iya, liyon tenda’ na palengngan.
Insa’ niya tinawu umma’ pawpit. Anengge iya ma bukot sin liyon ubos ampa
pinagamahan itu. “Ayan kapaturan nu bay ka pē’ ma luma’ ku? Ngayan pinakitaw
mga anak ku?”
Insa’ ngasip liyon palengngan sadya iya.
Agdugal tooran pawpit ampa itu amungmung. “Amung sadya aku ma kaa insa’
niya ka kapaturan pē’ mē’! Bang ka pabalik tenda’ nu tooran! Bennal gai kabayaan
ku,” yuk na, ampa meya’ pa sakad dakayu’ tapē’, “marayi’ pong ku bukut nu maollot
tapē’ ku day-day.”
Ampa paleyang iya mole’ ma pugad sigaam.
“O yan mga anak ku, nihinduan ku na iya. Gai na tooran iya pabalik!”