Lowlands-L Anniversary Celebration

Frontpage
The Project

Language lists
Languages
Talen
Sprachen
Sprog
Lenguajes
Linguagens
Langues
Языки
Bahasa-bahasa
语言,方言,士话
語言,方言,士話
言語と方言
Languages A–Z
Language Groups
Audio Files
Language information
Wish list

About Lowlands
Beginnings
Reflections
Meet Lowlanders!
Project Team
Contact
Site map
Offline Resources
Gallery
History
Traditions
The Crypt
Travels
Language Tips
Members’ Links
Facebook
Lowlands Shops
  · Canada
  · Deutschland
  · France
  · 日本 Japan
  · United Kingdom
  · United States
Recommended now!

What's new?

Guests...
Please click here to leave an anniversary message (in any language you choose). You do not need to be a member of Lowlands-L to do so. In fact, we would be more than thrilled to receive messages from anyone.
Click here to read what others have written so far.

About the story
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 ...

English

American Dialect of New Hampshire


Listen to this translation narrated with native pronunciation:

[Download mp3]

Translator & Narrator: Mike Szelog

Location: Manchester (Amoskeag), New Hampshire, USA

Language information: [Click]Click here for different versions. >


Click here for different versions. >[English Spelling] [Phonetic]    


The Wren

The wren, used to keep his nest in the cawnah of the bahn. One time, the oldah bööds both flew out—they hahd wanted to get a dite ta eat fowah theyah yowens and hahd left them all alone.

Ahftah a while, Fahthah Wren came bahk home to the nest.

“What hahppened he-yah?” he says. “Who hahmed you, guys? You all look like you hahd the bejesus scayahd outta you!”

“Oh, Dad,” they said, “some huge monstah came by just a few minutes ago. He was wicked scary! He stayahd into ouwah nest and hahd these wicked huge eyes and really scayahd us some goo-ud!

“Ayuh, I see,” Fahthah Wren says, “wheyah’d he go?”

“Well,” they said, “he went thaht way—down thayah in the woods.”

“Wait heyah!” Fahthah Wren said, “I’m goin’ ahftah him. Don’t you worry now, kids. I’ll get him some goo-ud.” With thaht said, he stahted to fly from his nest.

So he flew föthah inta the woods, then around a bend, and aftah a while came upon a wildcaht.

But the wren wahn’t scayahd one bit. He lands on the wildcat’s bahk and stahts layin’ inta him. “What business do you hahve comin’ to my house,” he says, “and scayahrin’ the bejesus outta my yowens?!”

The wildcaht pays no attention to the bööd and just keeps on standin’ theyah.

That just ticks that loud mouth off wös and he lays it into thaht joe-jeezly wildcaht some wicked—even hahdah then befowah. “Now you listen heyah, Mistah May-an—you have no business bein’ thayah whatsoevah! And if you dayah come bahk”, he says, “well, then you’ll see—I don’t want to do it,” he says and stahts to lift one of his legs, “but I’d bust yowah bahk some goo-ud with my leg in a second!”

Aftah sayin’ thaht, he flew right bahk to his nest.

“Theyah, kids”, he says, “I taught thaht joe-jeezly wildcat a lesson some wicked. He won’t dayah evah be bahk heyah.”


© 2011, Lowlands-L · ISSN 189-5582 · LCSN 96-4226 · All international rights reserved.
Lowlands-L Online Shops: Canada · Deutschland · France · 日本 · UK · USA