Die Inshurance Business: A serio-comic drama in the Pennsylvania German vernacular, "as she is spoke" in the German districts of Pennsylvania — John Shaqi
Die Inshurance Business: A serio-comic drama in the Pennsylvania German vernacular, "as she is spoke" in the German districts of PennsylvaniaGrumbine, Ezra
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Die Inshurance Business: A serio-comic drama in the Pennsylvania German vernacular, "as she is spoke" in the German districts of Pennsylvania
Grumbine, Ezra
Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Pa.) -- Drama; Pennsylvania German dialect -- Texts
ABE. I, drink fon der mommy eererm Awdorn tay.
FRANY. Yaw, sell date ich, Ike.
YOKLE. Sell is net feel wart. (_Sharply._)
FRANY. Yo es is. Ike, drink mole, und no gay in’s bet. Dee Sallie holt
der mommy no noch may.
(_IKE gets up, takes cup and drinks._)
YOKLE. (_Starting up._) Drink net. (_Excitedly._) Drink sell net.
IKE. Yaw, ich hop getrunka! (_Spits._) Wos der difle is do hin in dem
tay? (_Spits, etc._)
YOKLE. (_Distractedly._) Gift, mice gift! Grickt millich! (_Runs out for
milk. Confusion all around._)
IKE. Gift! Gott im Himmel! Bin ich fergift!
FRANY. O, Gott! O, Gott! Wee is don des ny komma?
IKE. O, my! O, my! Macht’s mich dote? Herr Yesses! Es shoft shon. Ooh!
Hooo! (_Holds stomach with both hands, bends down, etc._) Gate ebber
for der duckter. Oh! Hooo!—es shoft shon orig. O, ich grick now bol
shmartza—won ich—es brent—ach!—ich! Helf mer doch—holed ebber millich—kee
warmy millich!
SALLIE. (_Goes to him._) Es war kay gift. Sy yusht ruich. Es war nix os
gips.
IKE. We waisht’s, Sallie? O, ich glaub os es gift war. O! was es zuckt!
(_More business._)
SHWINE. (_Aside._) Dummer older difle! Olles ferdorwa. (_Attempts to
exit when GUST steps before him with a drawn pistol which he holds to
SHWINEFELT’S head._)
GUST. Net so shtorik. Sits dich noch a wile. Sis noch net so shpote.
SALLIE. Sy yusht ruich, Ike, es dute der nix.
YOKLE. (_Rushing in with a tin full of milk which he sets down before
GRANNY and shouts._) Do is seesy millich.
GRANNY. See is gute. (_Takes it and drinks it._)
YOKLE. O, my kindt! my kindt!
GUST. Er is all recht. Es wor gips in sellem bobbeer und shunsht nix. Ich
fershtay olles. Do is der kerl wo des ding g’shtart hut, und ich hob’s
en sayna in der tay doo. Now, hob ich eem por worta zu sawga. Im ershta
blotz, rous mit sella inshurance policies.
SHWINE. Do sin see. (_Hands them out._)
GUST. Do, Ike, ferise see. (_IKE does so._) Now, Shwinefelt, _clear the
patch_! Los dich nimmy in Lebanon Co. sayna, oder ich arrest dich for zu
brovera dee grossmommy zu fergifta. Ich kon olles proofa. Now nous mit
der. Ike und Abe, geb eem farrywell. (_IKE and ABE kick him out of center
entrance._) Now, dad, horich a mole. Los dy finger ous der inshurance
business. Kum in unser cumpeny. Ich und dee Sallie shtarta en cumpany,
capital $10,000, ganunk for der old Henner ob zu flicka. Net so, Sallie?
(_SALLIE takes her place by his side._)
GRANNY. Des is besser for my hushta os ich noch eppes kot hop.
FRANY. Yaw, es cured aw my rummadiz, glaub ich.
IKE. Und my bouch!
GRANNY. (_Granny rises and stretches out her hands._) Liebe kinner.
Empfongt my säga!
(_Tableau._)
IKE. FRANY. YOKLE. GRANNY. GUST. SALLIE. ABE.
CURTAIN.
End of Project Gutenberg's Die Inshurance Business, by Ezra Grumbine
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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