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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 nettel-könninksken had syn nüst in de wagen-lose. Nu bünt de olders op ne kere alle beyde uut-evloggene ewest. Se wulden wat te aeten voer aere jungen halen en hebbet de kleynkes helemaole allene achter elaotene.
Nao een tydken kümp et vader-nettel-könninksken waer ’t huus.
“Wat is hyr geboerd?” seg e, “Wel hev u wat edaone, kindere? Iy bünt jao helemaole in de warre.”
“Ach, vader” saen se, “der kwam hyr so net sonnen groten buman vœrbiy. Den sog der so kwaod en naar uut. He keek met syne grote ogene in üns nüst. Den hev üns so bange maket.”
“So,” sae de vader, “waor is he blevvene?”
“Bo’,” saen se, “he is daor hen egaone.”
“Wach maor,” sae de vader, “Ik gao em achter nao.” Dan vlüg e der achter ran.
As he den hook ümme kümp, löp daor ne leeu.
Maor et nettel-könninksken is neet bange. He strik dale op den leeu syne rügge en begint em uut te scheldene: “Wat hest du biy myn huus te soeken,” seg e “en myne kleynen bange te makene?!”
Den leeu trök sik der niks van an en löp gewoon doer.
Dan geet he noch völle harder te keer, et kleyne
up-schepperken.
“Du heste daor niks te maken, seg ik diy! En aste noch is terügge kümste,”
seg e “dan saste wal is seen! Ik do et neet gaerne,” seg e, en daorbiy stek
e syn ene been up, “maor dan schop ik diy de rügge in!”
Dan vlüg e waer nao syn nüst. “So, kindere,” seg e, “Den heb ik dat af-eleerd.
Dèn kump neet waer terügge.”
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