Part 15

Now weren ve all frolic, und lauter guter ding, Und dirsty ash a broosh-pinder - vhen ve hear some glasses ring; Foors mild und sonft in de distants - like de song of a nightingall, Denn a ringin' und rottlin und clotterin' - ash de Gluck of Edenhall?

Hei! how ve roosh on de liquor! - hei: how de kellners coom: Hei! how ve busted de bier-kegs und poonished de Punsch a la Rhum. Like lonely wafes at mitternight oopon some shiant shore- Like an awful shtorm in de Waelder - vas de dirsty Deutschers' roar!

I pyed some carts for a dime abiece - I pyed shoost fifdy-dwo, Dey vere goot for bier, or schnapps, or wein - by doonder how dey flew! I ring de deck on de vaiters for liquor hot und cool, Und efery dime I blays a cart, py shings, I rake de pool!

Und ash ve trinked so comforble, like boogs in any roog, De trompets blowed tan da ra dei, und dere come in a Maskenzug, A peaudiful brocession, soul-raisin' and sooplime, De marmorbilds of de heroes of de early Sharman dime.

Dere vent der gros Arminius, mit his frau Thusnelda, doo, De vellers ash lam de Romans dill dey roon mit noses plue; Denn vollowed Quinctilius Varus who carry a Roman yoke, Und arm in arm mit Gambrinus coom der Allemane Chroc.

Der Alte Friedrich Rothbart, und Kaiser Karl der crate, Mit Roland und Uliverus vent shveepin' on in shtate; Und Conradin, whose sad-full deat' shtill makes our heartsen pleed, Und all ov dem oldt vellers aus dem Nibelungen Lied.

Und as dey mofed on, der Breitmann maked a tyfeled shplendid witz In anti-word to dis quesdion from de lofely Mina Schmitz: "Vhy ish id dey always makes in shtone dem vellers so andiquadet?" "Vhy - dey set in de laps of Ages dill dey got lapi-dated!"

Und shoost as de last of dis hisdory hat fanished droo de door, Ve heardt a ge-screech, and Pelz Nickel coom howlin' on de vloor; Denn de laties yell like der teufel, und vly like gulls mit wings, Und der Pelz Nickel lick em mit svitches, und ve laugh like eferydings.

I nefer hafe sooch laughen before dat I vas geborn; Und Pelz Nickel, vhen 'tvas ober, he plow on a yaeger horn, Und denounce do all de beople gesembled in de hall: "Dat a Ghristmas dree vas vaiten', mit bresents for oos all!"

So ve vollowed him into de zimmer so quick ash dese vords he said, To kit dem peaudiful bresents, all gratis und on de dead; Und in facdt a shplendid Weihnachtsbaum mit lighds ve druly vound, Und liddel kifts dat ge-kostet a benny abiece all round!

Dere vas Rike Strange die Dessauerinn - a maedchen shtraigdt und tall, She cot a bicture of Cubid - boot she tidn't see it ad all, Dill der Breitmann say, mit his shplendid shtyle dat all de laties dake: "Dat pend of de bow ish de Crecian pend dat you so ofden make!"

Anoder scharmante laity, Maria Top, did cot, A schwingin' mit a ribbon, a liddle benny pot; Boot Breitmann hafe id de roughest of any oder mans, For he kit a yellow gratle mit a liddle vooden Hans.

Denn next Beethoven's Sinfonie, die orkester tid blay; Adagio - allegro - andante cantabile. Ve sat in shtill commotion so dat a bin mighdt drops, Und de deers roon town der Breitmann's sheeks, mitwhiles he was trinkin' schnapps.

Next dings ve had de Weinnachtstraum ge-sung by de Liederkranz, Denn I trinked dwelf schoppens of glee-wine to sed me oop for a tantz; Dis dimes I tanz wie der Teufel - we shriek de volk on de vloor; Und boost right indo de sooper room - vor ve tanzt a hole droo de door!

Denn 'twas rowdy tow und hop-sassa, ve hollered, Mann und Weib; "Rip Sam und sed her oop acain! - ve're all of de Shackdaw tribe!" Vhen Pelz Nickel plow his tromp vonce more, und peg oos to shtop our din, Und droo de oben door dere coomed nine den-pins marchin' in.

Nine vellers tressed like den-pins - dey goed to de end' der hall. Und dwo Hans Wurst, shack-puddin' glowns - dey rolled at em mit a ball. De balls vas paintet peaudiful; dey was vifdeen feet aroundt; Und de rule ov de came: "whoefer cot hidt, moost doomple on de croundt."

Sometimes dey hit de den-pins - sometimes de oder volk- Und pooty soon de gompany vas all laid out in shoke; Boot I dells you vot, it maked oos laugh dill we by-nearly shplits, Vhen der Breitmann he roll ofer, und drip oop de Mina Schmitz.

Dis lets itself in Sharman pe foost-rade word-blayed on, Und 'mongst oos be-gifted vellers you pet dat id vas tone! How der Breitmann mighdt drafel ash bride-man on de roadt dat ish breit und krumm: Here de drumpets soundt, and pair-wise ve goed for de sooper-room.

Ve goed for ge-roasted Welsh-hens, ve goed for ge-spickter hare, Ve goed for kartoffel salade mit butter brod,-kaviar: Ve roosh at de lordtly sauer-kraut und de wurst which lofely shine, Und oh, mein Gott im Kimmel! how we goed for de Mosel-wein!

Und troonker more, und troonker yet, und troonker shtill cot ve, In rosy lighdt shtill drivin on agross a fairy sea; Denn madder, vilder, frantic-er, I proked a salat dish! Und shoost like roarin' elefants ve tantzed aroundt de tish.

I'fe shvimmed in heafenly droonks pefore - boot nefer von like dis; De morgen-het-ache only seemt a bortion of de pliss. De vhile in trilling peauty roundt like heafenly vind-harps rang A goosh of goldnen melodie - de Rheinweinbechers' Klang.

De meltin' minnesingers' song - a droonk of honey'd rhyme- De b'wildrin-dipsy Bardic shants of Teutoburgic dime; Back to de runic dim Valhall und Balder's foamin' mead:- Here ents in heller glorie schein des Breitmann's Weihnachtslied!

BREITMANN ABOUT TOWN

DER SCHWACKENHAMMER coom to down, Pefore de Fall vas past, Und by der Breitmann drawed he in Ash dreimals honored gast. "Led's see de sighdts! In self und worldt,- Dere's 'sighdts' for him, to see, Who Selbstanschauungsvermogen hat," Said Breitemann, said he.

Dey vented to de Opera Haus, Und dere dey vound em blayin', Of Offenbach (der open brook), His show spiel Belle Helene. "Dere's Offenbach, - Sebastian Bach,- Mit Kaulbach, - dat makes dree: I alvays like sooch brooks ash dese;" Said Breitemann, said he.

Dey vented to de Bibliothek, Vhich Mishder Astor bilt: Some pooks vere only en broschure, Und some vere pound und gilt. "Dat makes de gold - dat makes de sinn, Mit pooks, ash men, ve see, De pest tressed vellers guilt de most:"- Said Breitemann, said he.

Dey vent to see an edidor, Who'd shanged his flag und doon, Und crowed oopon der oder side, Dat very afdernoon. "De anciends vorshipped wettercocks, To wetter fanes pent de knee; Pow down, mein Schwackenhammer, pow!" Said Breitemann, said he.

Dey vented by a panker's hause, Und Schwackenhammer shvore, He only vant a pig red shield Hoong oop pefore de toor; One side of red, one side of gold, Like de knighds in hisdorie- "De schildern of dat schild is rich," Said Breitemann, said he.