LL-L: "Story" LOWLANDS-L, 21.DEC.1999 (02) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

 ========================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 21.DEC.1999 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn//lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =========================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =========================================================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =========================================================================

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Story

[The following is in Low Saxon (Low German) and English.]

Leve Leeglanners,

Hier, tiedig to Wienachten,  is nu maal wedder 'n Vertellen vun uns Fru Clara
Kramer-Freudenthal in er Ollanner Mundaard. Vundaag' bring ick dat aan dat
leeglandsche Ümschrieven, wiel dat dat süst to lang wardt. Dat Ümschrieven
findt Jie up de Nettsied.  Ick heff al 'n Barg vun er Vertellen hier bröcht.
Jie findt se mit 'n Infören hier:
http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn/kramer/ (or
http://online.sh/freudenthal, or http://online.sh/platt).  Fru
Kramer-Freudenthal (101477.2611 at CompuServe.COM, Fax: 49 40 525 508 75) is 'n
Liddmaat vun Lowlands-L.

De Nettsieden vun Fru Kramer-Freudenthal (de ick maken un verwalten do) hebbt
nu 'n ,,Söökmaaschien'', in de Jie vun de eerste Sied un vun de eerste
Inholdssied rinkaamt.  De mank Ju, de de Spraak leren wüllt, köönt daar mit na
neddersassische or ingelsche Wöör söken.

Beste Gröten, un höögliche Wienachten!

Reinhard/Ron

Dear Lowlanders,

Just in time for Christmas, here is another Low Saxon (Low German) story by
Ms. Kramer-Freudenthal in her native Lower Elbe North Saxon dialect of Olland
(Das Alte Land, in Hamburg and Lower Saxony).  I am posting it minus the
Lowlands system transcription this time because it would make this posting too
long.  You will find it at the website.  As most of you know, I have been
posting many of her stories in the original, in transliteration and in
translation on Lowlands-L, and I have also posted them and additional stories
and also recipes on the web at
http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn/kramer/ (or
http://online.sh/freudenthal, or http://online.sh/platt).  Ms.
Kramer-Freudenthal (101477.2611 at CompuServe.COM, Fax: 49 40 525 508 75) is a
member of Lowlands-L.

Ms. Kramer-Freudenthal's website (which I created and am maintaining) now has
a "search engine". You can access it from the index page and from the main
table of contents. Those among you who wish to study the language will be able
to use it to search for Low Saxon or English words.

Best regards, and happy holidays,

Reinhard/Ron

**********

(Original version)

WIEHNACHTEN 1947

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
Christmoond 1999

Is uns Herold-Center warrer smuck utstaffeert to Wiehnachten! De velen
Lichten, de Ruuch vun Dannengreun liggt in de Luft, un de Minschen ielt mit
vulle Taschen an uns vörbi. Keen Tiet, keen Tiet, üm all' dat Scheune in sik
optonehm. Wat een Öberfloot! De velen Talliglichten in männig Klüür mit Ingels
und Stierns sünd veel to schood rünnertobrennen. Dor lees ik ,,Sonderpreis:
Eine Kiste Clementinen-Apfelsinen'' un wat nich allns anpriest warrt för wenig
Geld. Ob ik will or nich, bums bün ik in mien Dinken bi Wiehnachten 1947. Harr
wull dat Glitzern un de Glimmer ut de Psyche vertüüch hoolt.

Liggt nu good föfftig Johr trüch. In Cranz, bi Otto Bröhan op den Diek blang
de School harrn wi no de Flucht een Ünnerkoom funn'n. Dat Johr 1947 wüür no
den Krieg een gans leget Johr. In'n Krieg un kott no den Krieg harrn wi mihr
to eten un mihr Hult un Kohlen as 1947. De Rotschoonen, de op
Lebensmittelkorten stünn'n wörrn ümmer minner. Wat hebbt wi allns op de Been
stellt, üm een eenigermoten kommodiget Christfest to hebben! Minschen op'n
Lann' harrn dat jo noch veel beter as de Stadtminschen. Mien Mann un ik hebbt
uns männig Nacht üm de Uhrn sloon mit Bookführn för de Buurn un Kooplüüd. De
Buurn hebbt uns mit Melk, Wust, Bodder, Eier un Smult betohlt. Bi de Kooplüüd
geev dat Zucker, Mehl, un ok mol een Pund Margarine för uns Arbeit. To
Wiehnachten kregen wi sogor foken mol een Eunt or gor een Goos tosteken. Uns
Kohlenhöker, Adolf Bartels -- bün em hüüt noch dankbor -- harr mi een Sack
Briketts und Anthrazit ohn' Marken to Wiehnachten vör de Döör stellt. Een
warme Dööns un een Wiehnachtsbroden wüürn uns seker.

Wat harrn wi ober för uns beiden lütten Jungs? Diether mit sien söben Johr
harr gans lütte, beschedene Wünsch, ober sübst de wüürn kuum ümtosetten.
Speeltüüch för de Kinner, dat wüürn Wunschdräum. Ober dor wüür jo noch Theo
Hintze, een Dischlermester in Leeswig, för den wi ok de Beuker in de Reeh
hooln hebbt. Morgigen Doogs wull ik fuurts hin no Theo un em frogen, ob he för
uns Jungs wull een Sleden boon kunn. Na dat wüür doch wat, wenn 't klappen
schull. Denn harrn wi wat för beide Jungs. Snee leeg al noog to'n Rüschen. Den
Diek hindool, öber de Stroot un denn ropp op de tofroorn Grobens, dat wüür dat
gröttste Vergneugen för de Kinner in de dormolige Tiet. De Lüttst, uns Heiner,
wull so giern een Teddybärn hebben as Berni Harms een harr. Allns scheun un
good, ober woans wüür an so een Teddy rantokoom? Bleev mi nix anners öber, as
Berni sien Vadder to frogen, ob he för Zigarettenkorten op den ,,swatten
Markt'' wull so een Teddy organiseern kunn. Wi wüssen alltohoop, dat Bernhard
Harms sik in Altno op den ,,swatten Markt'' good utkinn un nich slecht dorvun
leev.

Güng mi veel dörch den Kopp so kott vör de Festdoog, un de Doog bet
Wiehnachten hin leupen ümmer gauer. Nu ropp in de ierste Etoosch un bi Fomilje
Harms bimmeln. Vadder Harms open mi de Döör:

,,Guten Morgen, Herr Harms. Ich komme mit einer vielleicht unmöglichen Bitte
zu ihnen, aber unser Heiner wünscht sich zu Weihnachten so sehr einen
Teddybären wie Ihr Bernd einen hat. Wäre es ihnen vielleicht möglich, einen
solchen oder einen ähnlichen zu beschaffen?''

Vadder Harms dreih sik so'n beten smerig hin un her un froog ok fuurts:

,,Was hätten Sie mir dafür zu bieten? Mit Geld ist heute nichts mehr zu
beschaffen, wie Sie ja wohl selber wissen.''

,,Viel kann ich ihnen nicht bieten außer Zigarettenkarten.''

Mi bubber mien Hatt! Wenn he man toseggen wörr, so'n Kinnerhatt wüür in de
dormolige, swore Tiet mit Kleenigkeiten selig to moken.

,,Ich will mich bemühen, schon weil Berni und Heiner so gut miteinander
auskommen.''

Kott un good, dat mit den Teddy hett klappt. Ok bi Theo Hintze kreeg ik een
wunnerscheunen Sleden för unsen Diether. Nu kunn dat Wiehnachten warrn. Ober
noch wat stünn in'n Room. Keen schull den Wiehnachtsmann speeln? Fro Wotzny,
scheut mi dat dörch mien Kopp, jo, de wörr dat seker giern moken. Wi hebbt uns
besnackt un allns güng sien wohnten Weg.

De Hilligobend wüür dor. De Dannenboom mit een poor Lichten -- ok Lichten
wüürn knapp -- stünn al putzt in de Dööns. Fro Wotzny harr den farig packten
Sack mit Appeln, Nööt, brune Koken, Plätten un lütte Poketen mit Kneestrümp,
de ik ut Zuckersäck knütt harr, ut de Waschköök hoolt un klopp an de Döör.

,,Herein'' sä mien Mann, un mien beiden Jungs grepen no mien Hand.

,,Dat is man bloots de Wiehnachtsmann'', beswicht ik jüm.

Un Wiehnachtsmann Wotzny wüür ok al dorbi to frogen.

,,Na, seid ihr beiden auch immer artig gewesen? Kann denn einer auch ein
Gedicht aufsagen?''

,,Ja, beide haben ein Gedicht für dich gelernt, lieber Weihnachtsmann'', hebb
ik antert.

Gans fien hebbt uns Jungs jümehrn Riemel opseggt, un to'n Dank schütt de
Wiehnachtsmann den Sack ut op een Deek, de ik proot leggt harr.

,,Das war aber sehr schön! Hier brauche ich die Rute gar nicht hervorzuholen,
aber ich habe noch etwas für Euch, weil ihr so liebe Kinder seid!'', verkünn
de Wiehnachtsmann, un nu iers keum he mit den Sleden vertüch, de noch achter
de Döör stohn harr. Un keen seet wull op den Sleden? Unsen Heiner sien
Teddybär! Un de wüür noch een lütt beten grötter as Berni Harms sien. Ok
Diether wüür bannig stult, dat he nu een egen Sleden harr un nich ümmer snurrn
müß bi de annern Kinner, wenn he mol den Diek rünner rüschen wull.

De strohln' Ogen vun mien beiden Jungs an dat bescheden Christfest 1947 seeh
ik hüüt noch för mi. Kommodig hebbt wi uns an den Disch sett un uns mit uns
Kinner freit. (An disse Steed nochmols Dank an Dischermester Theo Hintze, de
uns, as wi nix harrn, mit richtige Steuhl un Dischen utrüst hett.) Nodem ik de
Wiehnachtsgeschicht leest harr, güng dat in uns Kellerköök, woneem de
Greunkohl al op uns teuv, de suutje op den Kohlenhierd op sachtet Brikettfüür
vör sik hin prüttelt harr. Hett uns dat smeckt an'n Hilligobend 1947!

Miteens stött mien Heinz mi gans sachten an:

,,Ich habe dich etwas gefragt. Warum antwortest du nicht? Wollen wir uns
Zitrusfrüchte mitnehmen? Sie sind wirklich preiswert.''

"Entschuldige bitte, aber ich war ganz kurz in der Vergangenheit, sicher
ausgelöst durch diesen Überfluß hier. Und mir wurde soeben bewußt, daß wir
trotz aller Armut 1947 viel reicher und zufriedener waren als wir es heute
sind.''

***

(Translation, R. F. Hahn)

CHRISTMAS 1947

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
December 1999

How beautifully our Herold-Center has been decorated for Christmas again! The
many lights, the smell of pine needles fill the air, and people carrying full
bags rush by us. No time, no time to take in all the beauty. What affluence!
It is a shame that the multitude of wax candles in many colors with angels and
stars on them get burnt down. I read, "Special Price: 1 Box Clementine
Oranges" and whatever else is being offered for little money. I can't help my
mind going back to Christmas 1947. Probably all the glitter and glimmer has
brought it up from my subconscious mind.

It goes back more than fifty years. After our escape [from the East] we had
found accommodation in Cranz, in Otto Bröhan's place on the dike next to the
school. 1947, soon after the war, had been a terribly bad year. During the war
and right after the war we had had more food and more wood and coals than in
1947. The rations printed on the grocery coupons kept getting smaller. Having
a halfway comfortable Christmas took a lot of doing. People in the country had
it easier than people in the cities. My husband and I had pulled quite a few
all-nighters doing the books for farmers and merchants. The farmers would pay
us with milk, sausage, butter, eggs and lard. The merchants would compensate
for our work with sugar, flour and once in a while with a pound of margarine.
On Christmas they would oftentimes even slip us a duck or a goose. Our coal
merchant, Adolf Bartels -- I'm still grateful to him to this very day -- had
put in front of my door for Christmas a bag of pressed and hard coal without
ration coupons. We were now assured a warm living room and a Christmas roast.

But what did we have to give our two little boys? Being seven years old,
Diether had very small and modest wishes, but even they could hardly be made
reality. Toys for the children were just dreams. But there was Theo Hintze, a
carpenter in Leeswig, for whom we had kept the books too. I decided to go and
see Theo the very next day and to ask him if he would be able to build a
toboggan for our boys. Well, it would be quite something if it worked out.
Then we would have something for both of the boys. There was already enough
snow for tobogganing. Down the dike, across the road and then up onto the
frozen ditches ... That was the children's idea of fun in those days. The
youngest, our Heiner, was crazy about getting a teddy bear like the one Berni
Harms had. Well, fine, but how would we be able to get our hands on such a
teddy? We had no choice but to ask Berni's father if he could come up with
such a teddy on the black market in exchange for some cigarette ration
coupons. Every one of us knew that Bernhard Harms knew his way around the
black market in Altona and the living he made with it wasn't bad.

I had a lot on my mind so close to the holidays, and the days leading up to
Christmas passed by faster and faster. Well, then, up to the second floor and
ringing the Harms' doorbell. Father Harms opened the door for me,

[in German] "Hello, Mr. Harms. I'm coming to you with a perhaps impossible
request, but our Heiner is very much hoping to get a teddy bear for Christmas,
one of those your Bernd has. Would it be possible for you to supply one of
them or a similar one?"

Father Harms squirmed in a somewhat greasy way, and right away he asked [in
German],

"What do you have that you can offer me in return? Money won't do a lot these
days, as you are surely aware."

[in German] "I don't have a lot to offer except cigarette coupons."

My heart was beating really hard! If only he'd agree! It hardly took anything
to make children ecstatic in those hard times.

[in German] "I'll do my best, if for no other reason that Berni and Heiner get
along so well."

The long and short of it is that this thing with the teddy bear did work out.
Also, I got a fabulous toboggan for our Diether from Theo Hintze. Christmas
could arrive now. But there was one more thing. Who was going to play Santa
Claus? 'Mrs. Wotzny!' it flashed through my mind. Sure! She'd probably be
happy to do it. We conferred, and everything went as planned.

Christmas Eve had arrived. The Christmas tree with a few lights on it --
candles, too, were scarce -- stood in the living room all decorated. Mrs.
Wotzny had picked up from the laundry room the bag that had been filled with
apples, nuts, gingerbread, cookies and small packages containing knee socks
that I had knitted with the yarn from sugar bags, and she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" my husband said [in German], and my two boys grabbed my hand.

"It's only Santa Claus," I appeased them.

And Santa Wotzny was already asking [in German],

"Well then, have you two been good all the time? Can one of you say a poem?"

"Yes, both of them have memorized a poem for you, dear Santa Claus," I
answered [in German].

Our boys did a good job saying their poems, and as a token of gratitude Santa
Claus emptied out the bag on a sheet I had put down.

"That sure was very nice! In this place I don't even need to take out my
switch, but I have something for you because you are such good children!"
Santa Claus announced [in German], and it was only now that the toboggan
appeared, having stood behind the door. And who do you think was sitting on
the toboggan? Our Heiner's teddy bear! And he was even a little bit bigger
than Berni Harms'. Diether, too, was very proud that now he had his own
toboggan and no longer needed to beg from other children whenever he too
wanted to luge down the dike.

In my mind I can still see my two boys' bright eyes on that modest Christmas
1947. We sat down in a cozy circle around the table and shared our children's
joy. (At this point once again my thanks to Carpenter Master Theo Hintze who
had supplied us with real chairs and tables when we had nothing.) After I had
read the Christmas Story we went into the basement kitchen where the kale was
already waiting for us, simmering slowly over a pressed-coal fire in the
coal-fueled stove. How much we enjoyed our meal that Christmas Eve 1947!

Suddenly my Heinz nudged me very gently,

[in German] "I asked you something. Why aren't you answering? Shall we get
some citrus fruit? They are really reasonably priced."

[in German] "I'm sorry, but I took a short trip into the past, probably
because of all the abundance here. And I just realized that, despite all the
poverty, in 1947 we enjoyed a lot more wealth and contentment than we do these
days."

==================================END======================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =========================================================================