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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 ...
Oets hauw ’t winterkuningske e nès in de sjeur. Wie de auwers alletwieds waore
oetgevlaoge – zie wólle veur de jónge get te aete haole – bleve de jónge gans
allein heim.
Get later kaom de vajer trök op ’t nès. “Waat is hie veurgevalle?” zag er. “Wae haet uch belestig? Geer zuut alleneij zoe versjrik oet!”
“Och pap,” zage zie, “eine bóddeman kaom zjus langs oos nès. Hae zoog zoe weustig en versjrikkelik oet! Hae loerde in oos nès mit zien groete ouge. Det haet ós zoe bang gemaak!”
“Ich sjnap ’t,” zag de vajer, “Woe góng er haer?”
“Nouw,” zage zie, “hae góng dae kantj op.”
“Wach!” zag de vajer, “Ich gaon häöm zeuke. Höb mer geine bang, kènjer. Ich vènj häöm waal.” Doe vloog er achter häöm aan.
Wie er óm de hook kaom, zoog er dao eine liew loupe.
Mer ’t winterkuningske waor neet bang. Hae sjtrik naer op de rök van de liew en begós häöm oet te make.
“Waat deegs dich bie mie huuske,” zag er, “mien kènjer bang te make?!”
De liew deeg aevel niks, en leep gewoen door.
Det maakde det de kleine vogel häöm nog mie begós oet te make. “De höbs dao niks te zeuke, zègk ich dich! En este trök kumps,” zag er, “nouw, den geit d’r get gebäöre! Ich doon ’t neet gaer,” zag er, en er höf ein van zien puut, “mer ich braek dich de rök mit miene poet!”
Daonao vloog er trök nao zie nès.
“Zoe, kènjer,” zag er, “häöm höb ich ins good gekristelierd. Dae kump hie noets mie trök.”