seven Swabians 七个斯瓦比亚人

sevenSwabians

OncesevenSwabiansweretogether.ThefirstwasHerrSchulz,thesecondJackli,thethirdMarli,thefourthJergli,thefifthMichal,thesixthHans,andtheseventhVeitli.NowonedayinthemonthofJuly,whentheyhadwalkedalongwaybutstillhadagoodpiecetogobeforereachingthevillagewheretheyweregoingtospendthenight,ithappenedthattheywereinameadowjustasitwasgettingdark,andalargebeetleorhornetflewbythemfrombehindabush,buzzinginathreateningmanner.
HerrSchulzwassofrightenedthathealmostletgoofthespear,andacoldsweatbrokeoutoverhiswholebody."Listen,listen,"heshoutedtohiscomrades."Goodheaven,Ihearadrum!"
Jackli,whowasholdingthespearbehindhim,andwhohadjustsmelledIdon’tknowwhat,said,"Somethingishereforsure.Icansmellthepowderandthefuses."
Hearingthesewords,HerrSchulzbegantorunaway,andhequicklyjumpedoverafence,landingrightontheteethofarakethathadbeenleftlyingtherefromhaymaking.Thehandlehithiminthefacewithatremendousblow.
"Ohdear,ohdear,"screamedMasterSchulz."Takemeprisoner!Isurrender!Isurrender!"
Theothersixalljumpedtowardhim,oneovertheother,screaming,"Ifyousurrender,Isurrendertoo.Ifyousurrender,Isurrendertoo."
Butnoenemywastheretobindthemandtakethemaway,sotheyfinallysawthattheyhadbeendeceived.Tokeepthestoryfromgettingoutandcausingthemtolookfoolishandtoberidiculed,theyallsworetooneanotherthattheywouldsaynothingaboutituntiloneofthemshouldopenhismouthbymistake.
Thentheytraveledonward.
Theseconddangerthattheyexperiencedcannotbecomparedtothefirstone.Afewdayslatertheirpathledthemacrossanunplowedfieldwhereaharewassittingasleepinthesun.Itsearswerestandingstraightup,anditslargeglassyeyeswerewideopen.
Allofthemwerefrightenedatthesightofthisterriblewildbeast,andtheydiscussedwithoneanotherwhatwouldbetheleastdangerousthingtodo.Iftheyweretorunaway,theyfearedthatthemonsterwouldpursuethemanddevourthemall,eventheirskinandhair.
Sotheysaid,"Wewillhavetofightagreatanddangerousbattle.Wellbegunishalfdone!"
Thenallseventookholdofthespear,HerrSchulzinfrontandVeitliattherear.HerrSchulzwasalwaystryingtoholdthespearback,butattherearVeitlihadbecomequitebrave,andwantedtobreakloose.Heshouted:
Strikeout,ineverySwabian’sname,OrelseIwishthatyoubelame.
ButHansknewhowtoanswerthis,andhesaid:
Thunderandlightning,you’reonetobrag,Butatdragonhuntingyoualwayslag.
Michalshouted:
Nothingismissing,notevenahair.Thedevilhimselfistheonewhoisthere.
ThenitwasJergli’sturn,andhesaid:
Ifhe’snottheone,itishismother,Orelseitisthedevil’sstepbrother.
ThenMarlihadagoodidea,andhesaidtoVeitli:
Forward,Veitli,gofirst,Isay.I’mbehindyoualltheway.
Veitli,however,didnotobey,andJacklisaid:
LetHerrSchulzbenumberone,That’sanhonorhehaswon.
ThenHerrrSchulztookcourage,andsaid:
Boldlythen,wegotowar.Thenallwillknowhowbraveweare.
Thenalltogethertheyattackedthedragon.HerrSchulzcrossedhimselfandprayedtoGodforassistance,butnoneofthishelped,so,approachingtheenemy,hescreamedingreatfear,"Oh,oh,oh,oh!"
Thisawakenedthehare,andthefrightenedanimaldartedswiftlyaway.WhenHerrSchulzsawitthusfleeingfromthebattlefield,heshoutedoutjoyfully:
Quick,Veitli,lookthere,Themonsterisahare."
ThenthebandofSwabianswentinsearchoffurtheradventure,andtheycametotheMosel,amossy,still,deepriver.Thereareonlyafewbridgesoverit,andinmanyplacespeoplehavetocrossitbyboat.ThesevenSwabiansdidnotknowthis,sotheyshoutedtoamanwhowasworkingontheoppositesideoftheriver,andaskedhimhowtogetacross.
Becauseofthedistanceandtheirlanguage,themandidnotunderstandwhattheywanted,andheasked,inthedialectofTrier,"Wat?Wat?"
HerrSchulzthoughthewassaying,"Wade.Wadethroughthewater,"andbecausehewasinfront,hesetforthandbeganwalkingintotheMosel.Beforelonghesankintothemudandintothedeepwavesthatweredrivingagainsthim.However,thewindblewhishattotheoppositeshore.Afrogsatdownbesideit,andcroaked,"wat,wat,wat."
Theothersixheardthisfromtheothersideandsaid,"Aha,ourcomradeHerrSchulziscallingus.Ifhecanwadeacross,thenwhycan’twe?"
Soinarushandalltogethertheyjumpedintothewateranddrowned.
Thusonefrogtookthelivesofallsixofthem,andnotoneofthebandofSwabiansevercamehomeagain.

七个斯瓦比亚人

从前有七个斯瓦比亚人住在一块,他们分别是斯尔茨先生、杰克力、马力、约科力、米绍尔、汉斯和韦特利。七个人都决心周游世界去猎奇探险,行善济世。但是为了行路安全,手中须有武器,他们认为最好能造一根又长又结实的矛。矛造好后七个人马上把那根矛抓在手里,排好了队,排头的是那个最大胆勇猛的斯尔茨先生,其他六个一字排开,紧随其后,韦特利排在最后。他们走啊走啊,走了好长的路,但距离他们要投宿的村庄还有一大段路,他们只好在干草堆上睡上一宿。黄昏时在一片草地上,一只大甲虫亦或是大赤蜂从灌木丛后飞来,嗡嗡地发出扰人的声音。斯尔茨先生吓出了一身冷汗,赶紧放下手中的矛。“听啊!
听啊!“他叫道,”天啊!我听到一阵鼓声。“杰克力紧随其后托着那支矛,鼻子里也闻到了某种气味,”肯定发生了什么事,我闻到了火药和火柴味。“一听这话斯尔茨先生调转头就跑,转眼就跨过了树篱,但当他就要跳过人们晒完草后扔在一边的耙犁时,耙柄撞了一下他的脸,狠狠地砸了他一下。”唉哟!唉哟!“他大叫起来,”你抓着我了,我投降!我投降!“其他六个也都跌撞过来,一个趴在另一个头上,大呼小叫:”你投降,我也投降!你投降,我也投降!“最后,并没有敌人来把他们捆起来带走,他们意识到自己弄错了,为了不让别人知道这件事,免得别人戏谑嘲笑,他们互相起誓要保守机密,当然此事到很久以后还是有人无意中说出来了。于是他们又继续往前走。他们经历的第二道难关比起第一次来差远了。又过了几天,他们走进了一片荒地,发现一只野兔正缩在那儿晒太阳,它双耳耸立,瞪着对亮晶晶的大眼睛。七个人看到可怕的野兽都给吓怕了,商量着怎样做才会最安全。因为他们知道一旦跑开,那只怪兽恐怕就会追上来将他们吃掉。所以他们说:”我们必须进行一场刺激惊险的搏斗,勇敢向前就是成功的一半。“七个人紧紧地抓着矛,斯尔茨先生总想把矛拿着不动,但排在最后的韦特利却变得极为勇敢,想冲锋向前,口中念念有词:
“以全体斯瓦比亚人的名义勇敢地向前冲
不然你们就像跛子一样趴下!
但是汉斯知道怎么对付,说:
“我敢打赌,你只是说得漂亮,
每次战斗你总是落在最后。
米绍尔说道:
“丝毫不差,丝毫不差,
那家伙简直就是一个鬼。
轮到约科力了,他接着说:
“如果不是鬼,就是鬼的妈,
要不就是鬼的过继兄弟。
马力突然有了个好主意,他对韦特利说:“上吧,韦特利;上吧,韦特利
有我在后面抓着矛。
韦特利没有照着做,于是杰克力说:
“斯尔茨先生该是第一个,
要知光荣属于冲在最先的人。“
最后斯尔茨先生鼓起了勇气,威风凛凛地说:
“让我们冲锋向前,参加战斗,
以显示我们的勇猛和力量。“于是七个人一齐冲向那野兽。斯尔茨先生双手划着十字,祈求上帝的帮助,但这一切都无济于事,当他离“敌人”越来越近时,他口中惊恐地发出了:“喔!喔!”声并且是声嘶力竭,痛苦万分的声音,叫声惊醒了野兔,它吓了一大跳便迅速逃开了。斯尔茨先生见她逃离了战场,高兴地大叫:
“快看哪,韦特利,快看哪,
那恶魔只不过是只野兔。“
接着七个斯瓦比亚人继续他们的探险,这天他们来到了摩塞莱河。这是一条布满了青苔,平静而深沉的河流,水面上桥儿不多,有好多地方要乘船过去。但这七个斯瓦比亚人却对此一概不知。他们冲着对岸一位正在干活的人猛叫,问他怎样才能过去。因两岸距离远,别人又听不懂他们的话,那人没懂他们要干什么,于是就用他特武人的土话说:“干啥子?
干啥子?“斯尔茨先生以为他在说:”涉水过河。“因为他排在最头,所以第一个踏入了河里。不久他就陷进泥里站不起来了,河里的浪花不断向他砸来,他的帽子也被风吹到了对岸。一只青蛙正好蹲在帽子旁,叫着:”呱,呱,呱。“呆在一边的六个人听到叫声,说道:”喔,伙计们,斯尔茨先生在叫咱们,既然他能涉水过河,我们为什么不能?“于是六人一齐跳入了水中,结果全部淹死了。就这样一只青蛙要了六条人命,那群斯瓦比亚人没有一个活着回家的。