Part 6

For no man in Deutschland stood higher Dan he mit de Minnesing crew, He vas friendet to Heini von Steier, Und Wolfram von Eschenbach too. Und she dinked ash she look from de vinders, How herzlich his braises dey sang; "Now dey'll knock my goot name indo flinders, For killin der Ritter von Slang."

Boot oh! der goot knight had a Schauer, Und felt most ongommonly queer, Vhen he find on de top of de dower De goblum, pesite him, abbear. Denn he find he no more could go valkin, Und shtood, shoost and potrified ding, Vhile de goblum vent round about talkin, Und chaffin Plectruda von Sling.

Denn at vonce he see indo de problum, Und vas stoggered like rats at ids vim: His soul had gone indo de goblum, Und de goblum's hat gone indo him. Und de eyes of de volk vas enchanted, Dere vas "glamour" oopon de whole gang; For dey dinked dat dis veller who ranted So loose, vas der Ritter von Slang.

Und, Lordt! how he dalked! Oonder heafens Dere vas nefer soosh derriple witz, Knockin all dings to sechses and sefens, Und gifin Plectruda, Dutch fits. Mein Gott! how he poonished und chaffed her Like a hell-stingin, devil-born ding; Vhile de volk lay a-rollin mit laughter At Fraulein Plectruda von Sling.

De lady grew angry und paler, De lady grew ratful und red, She felt some Satanical jailer Hafe brisoned de tongue in her head. She moost laugh vhen she vant to pe cryin, Und vas crushed mit de teufelisch clang, Till she knelt herself, pooty near dyin, To dis derriple image of Slang.

Denn der goblum shoomp oop to der ceiling Und trow sommerseds round on de vloor, Right ofer Plectruda a-kneelin, Dill she look more a vool dan pefore. Denn he roll down de shteps light und breezy, His laughs made it all apout ring; Ash he shveared dere vas noding more easy Dan to win a Plectruda von Sling.

Und vhen he cot down to de pottom, He laugh so to freezen your plood; Und schwear dat de boomps ash he cot em Hafe make him feel petter ash good. Boot, oh! how dey shook at his power, Vhen he toorned himself roundt mit a bang, Und roll oop to de dop of de tower, To change forms mit de oder Von Slang!

Denn all in an insdand vas altered, Der Steinli vas coom to himself; Und de sprite, vitch in double sense paltered, From dat moment acain vas an elf. Dey shdill dinked dat he vas de person Who had bobbed oop and down on de ving, Und knew not who 'tvas lay de curse on De peaudiful Lady von Sling.

Nun-endlich- Plectruda repented, Und gazed on der Ritter mit shoy; In dime to pe married consented, Und vas plessed mit a peautifool poy. A dwenty gold biece on his bosom Vhen geporn vas tiscofered to hang Mit de inscript-"Dis dime dont refuse em"- So endet de tale of Von Slang.

Dresden, 1870.

TO A FRIEND STUDYING GERMAN.

Si liceret te amare Ad Suevorum magnum mare Sponsam te perducerem - Tristicia Amorosa. Frau Aventiure, von J. V. Scheffel.

VILL'ST dou learn die Deutsche Sprache? Denn set it on your card, Dat all the nouns have shenders, Und de shenders all are hard. Dere ish also dings called pronoms, Vitch id's shoost ash vell to know; Boot ach! de verbs or time-words- Dey'll work you bitter woe.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprche? Den you allatag moost go To sinfonies, sonatas, Or an oratorio. Vhen you dinks you knows 'pout musik, More ash any other man, Be sure de soul of Deutschland Into your soul ish ran.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache? Dou moost eat apout a peck A week of stinging sauerkraut, Und sefen pfoundts of speck. Mit Gott knows vot in vinegar, Und deuce knows vot in rum: Dis ish de only cerdain vay To make de accents coom.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache? Brepare dein soul to shtand Soosh sendences ash ne'er vas heardt In any oder land. Till dou canst make parentheses Intwisted-ohne zahl- Dann wirst du erst Deutschfertig seyn, For a languashe ideal.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache? Du must mitout an fear Trink afery tay an gallon dry, Of foamin Sherman bier. Und de more you trinks, pe certain, More Deutsch you'll surely pe; For Gambrinus ish de Emperor Of de whole of Germany.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache? Be sholly, brav, und treu, For dat veller ish kein Deutscher Who ish not a sholly poy. Find out vot means Gemutlichkeit, Und do it mitout fail, In Sang und Klang dein Lebenlang, A brick-ganz kreuzfidel.

Willst dou learn de Deutsche Sprache? If a shendleman dou art, Denn shtrike right indo Deutschland, Und get a schveetes heart. From Schwabenland or Sachsen Vhere now dis writer pees; Und de bretty girls all wachsen Shoost like aepples on de drees.

Boot if dou bee'st a laty, Denn on de oder hand, Take a blonde moustachioed lofer In de vine green Sherman land. Und if you shoost kit married (Vood mit vood soon makes a vire), You'll learn to sprechen Deutsch mein kind, Ash fast ash you tesire.

Dresden, January 1870.

LOVE SONG

Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea sponsa.

O VERE mine lofe a sugar-powl, De fery shmallest loomp Vouldt shveet de seas, from pole to pole, Und make de shildren shoomp. Und if she vere a clofer-field, I'd bet my only pence, It vouldn't pe no dime at all Pefore I'd shoomp de fence.

Her heafenly foice, it drill me so, It oft-dimes seems to hoort, She ish de holiest anamile Dat roons oopon de dirt. De renpow rises vhen she sings, De sonnshine vhen she dalk; De angels crow und flop deir vings Vhen she goes out to valk.

So livin white, so carnadine, Mine lofe's gomblexion show; It's shoost like Abendcarmosine, Rich gleamin on de shnow. Her soul makes plushes in her sheek Ash sommer reds de wein, Or sonnlight sends a fire life troo An blank Karfunkelstein.

De uberschwengliche idees Dis lofe poot in my mind, Vouldt make a foost-rate philosoph Of any human kind. 'Tis schudderin schveet on eart to meet An himmlisch-hoellisch Qual; Und treat mitwhiles to Kummel Schnapps De schoenheitsideal.

Dein Fuss seind weiss wie Kreiden, Dein Ermlein Helfenbein, Dein ganzer Leib ist Seiden Dein Brust wie Marmelstein- Ja-vot de older boet sang, I sing of dee-dou Fine! Dou'rt soul und pody, heart und life Glatt, zart, gelind, und rein.