Max and Moritz
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About this ebook
In addition to the title piece, this book reprints “Ker and Plunk” (Plisch und Plum), “The Egghead and the Two Cut-ups of Corinth” (Diogenes and die bösen Buben von Korinth), “The Raven-robbin’ Rascals” (Das Rabennest), “Deceitful Henry” (Der hinterlistige Heinrich), “The Boy and the Popgun” (Das Pusterrohr), “Ice-Peter” (Der Eispeter), “The Boy and the Pipe” (Krischan mit der Piepe), “Firm Faith” (Fester Glauben), “The Two Ducks and the Frog” (Die beiden Enten und der Frosch), and “Cat and Mouse” (Katze und Maus).
By turns malevolent, jovial, sardonic, diabolical, and bloodthirsty, these verses tellingly castigate hypocrisy, stodginess, stupidity, egotism, drunkenness, and other human foibles. The English translations, printed opposite the original German, are ingenious and faithful, with spice and sense both intact.
Wilhelm Busch
Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908) was a German humorist, poet, illustrator and painter. He contributed satirical sketches to German weekly papers and wrote short verse narratives accompanied by illustrations, which are now considered to be forerunners of the comic strip. Max and Morit, his most famous work, was published in 1865.
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Max and Moritz - Wilhelm Busch
Major Mischief-makers:
The Terrible Twosomes
I
MAX AND MORITZ
A Juvenile History in Seven Tricks
(Max und Moritz:
Eine Bubengeschichte in sieben Streichen)
Translated by Charles T. Brooks
Preface
Ah, how oft we read or hear of
Boys we almost stand in fear of!
For example, take these stories
Of two youths, named Max and Moritz,
Who, instead of early turning
Their young minds to useful learning,
Often leered with horrid features
At their lessons and their teachers.
Look now at the empty head: he
Is for mischief always ready.
Teasing creatures, climbing fences,
Stealing apples, pears, and quinces,
Is, of course, a deal more pleasant,
And far easier for the present,
Than to sit in schools or churches,
Fixed like roosters on their perches.
But O dear, O dear, O deary,
When the end comes sad and dreary!
’Tis a dreadful thing to tell
That on Max and Moritz fell!
All they did this book rehearses,
Both in pictures and in verses.
Vorwort
Ach, was muß man oft von bösen
Kindern hören oder lesen!!
Wie zum Beispiel hier von diesen,
Welche Max und Moritz hießen;
Die, anstatt durch weise Lehren
Sich zum Guten zu bekehren,
Oftmals noch darüber lachten
Und sich heimlich lustig machten. –
– Ja, zur Übeltätigkeit,
Ja, dazu ist man bereit! –
– Menschen necken, Tiere quälen,
Äpfel, Birnen, Zwetschgen stehlen – –
Das ist freilich angenehmer
Und dazu auch viel bequemer,
Als in Kirche oder Schule
Festzusitzen auf dem Stuhle.
– Aber wehe, wehe, wehe!
Wenn ich auf das Ende sehe!!–
– Ach, das war ein schlimmes Ding,
Wie es Max und Moritz ging!
– Drum ist hier, was sie getrieben,
Abgemalt und aufgeschrieben.
First Trick
To most people who have leisure
Raising poultry gives great pleasure:
First, because the eggs they lay us
For the care we take repay us;
Secondly, that now and then
We can dine on roasted hen;
Thirdly, of the hen’s and goose’s
Feathers men make various uses.
Some folks like to rest their heads
In the night on feather beds.
One of these was Widow Tibbets,
Whom the cut you see exhibits.
Erster Streich
Mancher gibt sich viele Müh’
Mit dem lieben Federvieh;
Einesteils der Eier wegen,
Welche diese Vögel legen;
Zweitens: weil man dann und wann
Einen Braten essen kann;
Drittens aber nimmt man auch
Ihre Federn zum Gebrauch
In die Kissen und die Pfühle,
Denn man liegt nicht gerne kühle.–
Seht, da ist die Witwe Bolte,
Die das auch nicht gerne wollte.
Hens were hers in number three,
And a cock of majesty.
Ihrer Hühner waren drei
Und ein stolzer Hahn dabei. –
Max and Moritz took a view;
Fell to thinking what to do.
One, two, three! as soon as said,
They have sliced a loaf of bread,
Cut each piece again in four,
Each a finger thick, no more.
These to two cross-threads they tie,
Like a letter X they lie
In the widow’s yard, with care
Stretched by those two rascals there.
Scarce the cock had seen the sight,
When he up and crew with might:
Max und Moritz dachten nun:
Was ist hier jetzt wohl zu tun? –
– Ganz geschwinde, eins, zwei, drei,
Schneiden sie sich Brot entzwei,
In vier Teile, jedes Stück
Wie ein kleiner Finger dick.
Diese binden sie an Fäden,
Übers Kreuz, ein Stück an jeden,
Und verlegen sie genau
In den Hof der guten Frau. –
Kaum hat dies der Hahn gesehen,
Fängt er auch schon an zu krähen:
Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo;—
Tack, tack, tack, the trio flew.
Kikeriki! Kikikerikih!!–
Tak, tak, tak! – da kommen sie.
Cock and hens, like fowls unfed,
Gobbled each a piece of bread;
Hahn und Hühner schlucken munter
Jedes ein Stück Brot hinunter;
But they found, on taking thought,
Each of them was badly caught.
Aber als sie sich besinnen,
Konnte keines recht von hinnen.
Every way they pull and twitch,
This strange cat’s-cradle to unhitch;
In die Kreuz und in die Quer
Reißen sie sich hin und her,
Up into the air they fly,
Jiminee, O Jimini!
Flattern auf und in die Höh’,
Ach herrje, herrjemine!
On a tree behold them dangling,
In the agony of strangling!
And their necks grow long and longer,
And their groans grow strong and stronger.
Ach, sie bleiben an dem langen,
Dürren Ast des Baumes hangen. –
– Und ihr Hals wird lang und länger,
Ihr Gesang wird bang und bänger.
Each lays quickly one egg more,
Then they cross to th’ other shore.
Jedes legt noch schnell ein Ei,
Und dann kommt der Tod herbei.
Widow Tibbets in her chamber,
By these death-cries waked from slumber,
Witwe Bolte in der Kammer
Hört im Bette diesen Jammer;
Rushes out with bodeful thought:
Heavens! what sight her vision caught!
Ahnungsvoll tritt sie heraus:
Ach, was war das für ein Graus!
From her eyes the tears are streaming:
"Oh, my cares, my toil, my dreaming!
Ah, life’s fairest hope," says she,
Hangs upon that apple-tree.