The Story of Schlauraffen Land

Once upon a time, in the land of Schlauraffen, I went there and saw Rome and the Lateran hanging by a thin silk thread. I saw a man without feet who ran faster than a swift horse, and a sharp sword that cut right through a bridge.

There I saw a young donkey with a silver nose chasing two fast hares, and a huge lime tree with hotcakes growing on it. I saw a skinny old goat carrying a hundred cartloads of fat and sixty loads of salt. Haven't I told enough lies?

There I saw a plow plowing without a horse or cow, and a one-year-old child throwing four millstones from Ratisbon to Treves, and from Treves to Strasbourg. A hawk swam across the Rhine, and it had every right to do so.

I heard fish making such a racket that it echoed up to heaven, and sweet honey flowed like water from a deep valley on top of a high mountain. Strange things indeed! Two crows were mowing a meadow, two gnats were building a bridge, and two doves tore a wolf apart.

Two children gave birth to two kids, and two frogs threshed corn together. I saw two mice consecrating a bishop, and two cats scratching out a bear's tongue. Then a snail came running and killed two furious lions.

A barber shaved off a woman's beard, and two nursing babies told their mother to be quiet. I saw two greyhounds pulling a mill out of the water, and a sorry old horse stood by and said it was right.

Four horses were in the yard threshing corn with all their might, two goats were heating the stove, and a red cow shoved the bread into the oven. Then a rooster crowed: Cock-a-doodle-doo! The story is all told—Cock-a-doodle-doo!