From Sauerland,[1] and in that dialect. It should be sung, and with very long-drawn syllables. Werrel (Werl) is a place of pilgrimage in Westphalia; Soist is Soest. It is also set as a riddle, and when people have been guessing for a long time and enquire what is the answer; the answer is, "a lie." According to another story, after the naked man has put the hare which has been caught into his pocket, they go into a church, where the box-wood parson and the beach-wood sexton give out holy water. "Then they come to a great piece of water that is so broad that a cock can step across it, on which are three boats; one has a hole in it, the other has a hole in it, and the third no bottom. They all three get into the one which has no bottom; one is lost in the water, the other is drowned, the third never gets out again."
The Quails, a lying tale, bears a remarkable resemblance to our story. See W. Wackernagel's edition:
die hunde sint mit muose behuot,[2]
dâ sint die kirchtüre guot
gemûrt ûz butern, got weiz!
und schînet diu sunne alsô heiz,
daz schadet in niht umbe ein hâr,
ein eichîn pfaffe, daz ist wâr,
ein büechîn messe singet.
swer dâ ze opfer dringet
der antlaz im geben wirt,
daz im der rücke geswirt,
den segen man mit kolven gap,
ze hant huop ich mich herap:
von dem antlaz ich erschrac,
siben wachtel in den sac!
There are other references to it elsewhere,
"mîn houpt wart mir gezwagen[3]
mit hagenbuochner lougen."
Liedersaal, 3. 553, 80.
- ↑ In Westphalia.—Tr.
- ↑ The dogs there are cautious about taking food, and there the church doors are soundly built of butter, and if the sun does shine warm, that hurts them never a jot. An oaken priest, that is true, says a birchen mass. Whosoever goes in to join the service will receive an absolution that will make his back ache. The blessing is given with clubs. In a moment I hurried off, I shrank from his absolution,—Seven quails were in the sack!
- ↑
"my head was washed for me with soap suds,"
(or an alkali made by burning white beech-wood.)
