The House that Jack built


This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,
that milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the man all tattered and torn,
that kissed the maiden all forlorn,
that milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
that married the man all tattered and torn,
that kissed the maiden all forlorn,
that milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn,
that waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
that married the man all tattered and torn,
that kissed the maiden all forlorn,
that milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing his corn,
that kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
that waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
that married the man all tattered and torn,
that kissed the maiden all forlorn,
that milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
that tossed the dog,
that worried the cat,
that killed the rat,
that ate the malt
that lay in the house that Jack built.



 (English Trad.)

Im  Kommentar zur "Ballade vom Jockel" habe ich behauptet, Jockel sei möglicherweise eine Koseform von Jakob. Da wundert es kaum, daß Jockel in England einen Bruder namens Jack hat.

I know an old Lady


I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a bird.
Now, how absurd to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a cat.
Now fancy that, to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a dog.
My, what a hog to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a goat.
Just opened her throat and in walked the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog.
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know how she swallowed the cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat.
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog.
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly –
Perhaps she'll die!

I know an old lady who swallowed a horse.
She's dead, of course!



(Alan Mills & Rosemary Bedeau)

U.a. gesungen von Burl Ives, 1948.

Yockli will net Bierre schiddle


Yockli will net Bierre schiddle, 
Bierre wolle net falle.

So schickt der Bauer es Hundel naus, fer des Yockli beiße.
Hundli will net Yockli beiße,
Yockli will net Bierre schiddle,
Bierre wolle net falle.

So schickt der Bauer es Briggli naus, fer des Hundli schmeiße.
Briggli will net Hundli schmeiße,
Hundli will net Yockli beiße ...

So schickt der Bauer es Feier naus, fer des Briggli brenne.
Feier will net Briggli brenne,
Briggli will net Hundli schmeiße ...

So schickt der Bauer es Wasser naus, fer des Feier lesche.
Wasser will net Feier lesche,
Feier will net Briggli brenne ...

So schickt der Bauer es Exel naus, fer des Wasser saufe.
Exel will net Wasser saufe,
Wasser will net Feier lesche ...

So schickt der Bauer es Strickli naus, fer des Exel hengke.
Strickli will net Exel hengke,
Exel will net Wasser saufe ...

So schickt der Bauer der Butscher naus, fer des Exel schlachte.
Butscher will net Exel schlachte,
Strickli will net Exel hengke,
Exel will net Wasser saufe ...

Bei meiner Suche nach deutschen Volksliedern in Nordamerika fand ich diese pennsylvaniendeutsche Variante der Ballade vom Jockel in
Albert Buffington (Hg.): Pennsylvania German Secular Folksongs. Breinigsville, Pennsylvania German Society 1974.
Dort heißt es, die Ballade vom Jockel sei erstmal 1609 in Wien gedruckt worden.

Dieser Text wurde zur Melodie "Yankee Doodle" gesungen.

Yockli will not shake the pears


Yockli will not shake the pears,

pears, they will not fall down.

The farmer sends out little dog to bite Yockli.
Little dog will not bite Yockli,

Yockli will not shake the pears,

Pears, they will not fall.

So the farmer sends out the little club to trip the little dog.
Little club will not trip the little dog,

Little dog will not bite Yockli ...

So the farmer sends the fire out to burn the little club.

Fire will not burn little club,

Little club will not trip little dog ...

So the farmer sends the water out to extinguish the fire.

Water will not extinguish fire,

fire will not burn little club ...

So the farmer sends out little ox to booze the water.

Little ox will not booze the water,

water will not extinguish fire ...

So the farmer sends out little rope to hang the little ox.

Little rope will not hang little ox,

little ox will not booze the water ...

So the farmer sends out the butcher to slaughter the little ox.

Butcher will not slaughter little ox,

Little rope will not hang little ox,

Little ox will not booze the water ...

On my research for German traditional songs in Northern America, I found this Pennsylvania German variant of the Yockel Ballad in
Albert Buffington (Hg.): Pennsylvania German Secular Folksongs. Breinigsville, Pennsylvania German Society 1974.
According to Buffington, the Yockel Ballad was first printed in 1609 in Vienna.

The Pennsylvania German lyrics were sung on the tune "Yankee Doodle".

Dr Joggeli


Es schickt dr Herr dr Joggeli us, er söll go Birli schüttle.
Joggeli wott nid Birli schüttle, d' Birli wei nid falle.

Do schickt de Meischter s Hündli us, es söll de Joggeli bisse.
Hündli wott nid Joggeli bisse, Joggeli wott nid Birli schüttle,
Birli wei nid falle.

Do schickt de Meischter s Chnebeli us, es söll go s Hündli haue.
Chnebeli wott nid Hündli haue,
Hündli wott nid Joggeli bisse, ...

Do schickt de Meischter s Fürli us, es söll go s Chnebeli brönne.
Fürli wott nid Chnebeli brönne, ...

Do schickt de Meischter s Wässerli us, es söll go s Fürli lösche.
Wässerli wott nid Fürli lösche, ...

Do schickt de Meischter s Chälbli us, es söll go s Wässerli sufe.
Chälbli wott nid Wässerli sufe, ...

Do schickt de Meischter de Metzger us, er söll go s Chälbli stäche.
Metzger wott nid Chälbli stäche, ...

Do goht de Meischter sälber us und foht a räsonniere
Metzger wott jetz Chälbli stäche,
Chälbli wott jetz Wässerli sufe,
Wässerli wott jetz Fürli lösche,
Fürli wott jetz Chnebeli brönne,
Chnebeli wott jetz Hündli haue,
Hündli wott jetz Joggeli bisse,
Joggeli wott jetz Birli schüttle,
D Birli wei jetz falle!

Der Jockel auf Berndeutsch.
Er wurde und blieb wohl durch das Bilderbuch "Joggeli söll ga Birli schüttle" von Lisa Wenger (1858-1941) im 20. Jahrhundert populär. Es erschien erstmals 1908 und wird bis heute verlegt. 
In einer baseldeutschen Fassung soll "s Hündli" nicht vom "Chnebeli", sondern vom "Stäggli" geschlagen werden. Der Metzger soll "s Chälbli" nicht bloß "stäche", sondern "schlachte". Die Auflösung schließlich beginnt mit dem Satz: "Do chunnt dr Meischter sälber derthär und chunnt cho Ornig mache".
Mit dem Schweizer Jockel haben mich Markus Heiniger (Baseldeutsch), sowie Kaspar Flückiger bekannt gemacht, der sogar einen kurzen Animationsfilm zum Joggeli produziert hat.

Joggeli will not shake the pears


The master sends for Joggeli to go shake the pears.
Joggeli will not not shake the pears, pears they would not fall down.

The master sends out the dog to bite Joggeli.
Little dog will not bite Joggeli, Joggeli will not shake the pears,
Pears, they will not fall.

So the master sends out the little stick to trip the little dog.
Little stick will not trip little dog,
Little dog will not bite Joggeli ...

So the master sends the fire out to burn the little boy.
Fire will not burn little stick, ...

So the master sends the little water out to extinguish the fire.
Water will not extinguish fire, ...

So the master sends out the little calf to booze the water.
Little calf will not booze the little water, ...

So the master sends out the butcher to slaughter the little calf.
Butcher will not slaughter little calf, ...

So the master himself walks out, putting things in order.
Now, the butcher will slaughter little calf,
Now, the little calf will booze little water,
Now, the little water will extinguish little fire,
Now, little fire will burn litte boy,
Now, litte boy will trip little dog,
Now, little dog will bite Joggeli,
Now, Joggeli will shake down pears,
Now, the pears will fall!

This is Jockel's story in Swiss German, as spoken in Bern.
It owes its continuing popularity to an illustrated children's book by Lisa Wenger (1858-1941), which was first published in 1908 and is still in print.

Comparing this berndeutsch version to the baseldeutsch, there are only minor deviations. Most obvious: The calf in the children's book is not threatened by slaughter, but only by stinging ("stäche").

I was introduced to the Swiss Jockel by Markus Heiniger, a singer-songwriter from Basel, and Kaspar Flückiger, who produced a short animated movie on Joggeli's story.