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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 ...
Kuuks
(Küüks) Cleves Franconian of Kuuk/Cuijk, Netherlands
Listen to
this translation narrated with native pronunciation:
’t Winterkunningske hai zien nésjen in ’t karreschop. Op ’ne goeie kér waore
d’oûwluî bèêj uutgevloge – ze wón wa te éête haole vör hùllie jong – en liête
de kliên héllemól allénnig âchter.
Nao ’n tiedje kumt ’t winterkunningmenneke wér thuus.
„Wá’s d’r hier gebeurd?” zét ie. „Wie hét óllie wa gedaon, kiendjes? Gullie
ziet héllemól van streek!”
„Och, Vád,” zégge ze, „d’r kwâm hier krek zò ’ne groëte boe-kél vörbéj.
Die zâg ’r zò beus en kwoi uut! Die bliekte mi zien grote döp in onze nêst.
Dè hét ons zò bang gemakt!”
„Zo,” zét vád, „waor is ie geblivve?”
„Noû,” zegge ze, „héj is daor hin gegaon.”
„Wâcht mar!” zét vád, „ik goi ’m âchternao. Zuut mar, kiender! ’k Zal
’m kriêge.”
Dan vliegt ie d’r âchterán.
As ie d’n hoek um kumt, löpt daor ’ne lùw.
Mar ’t winterkunningske is nie bang. Héj striekt nér op de lùw ziene rug
en begint op ’m te schelle. „Wa hédde géj béj mien huus te zuke,” zét ie, „en
mien kiendjes bang te maoke?!”
De lùw trekt zien ége d’r gén barst van án en löpt gewoën dör.
Dan gùt ie nog vul harder tekeër, ’t kliên opdonderke. „Ge hét daor gaar
niks te maoke, zeg ik oe! En as ge nog ’s trugkomt,” zét ie, „dan zulde ’s
wa beléêve! Ik doei ’t niet gér” zét ie, en daorbéj tilt ie zien eëne peutje
op, „mar dan trap ik oe zo owwe rug in mekaor!”
Daorop vliêgt ie wér trug nor ziene nêst.
„Zo, kiender,” zét ie, „ d’n dieje hé ’k dè wel afgeleërd. Die kumt noit
mér trug.”