Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/Der Shpider Und Der Fly

by Charles Follen Adams

DER SHPIDER UND DER FLY.

I reads in Yawcob's shtory book,

A couple veeks ago,

Von fired-rade boem, vot I dinks

Der beoples all should know.

Id ask dis goot conundhrum, too,

Vich ve should brofit by:

"' Vill you indo mine barlor valk ?'

Says der shpider off der fly."

Dot set me dinking, righdt avay,

Und vhen, von afdernoon,

A shbeculator he cooms in,

Und dells me, pooty soon,

He haf a silfer mine to sell,

Und ask me eef I puy,

I dink off der oxberience

Off dot plue-pottle fly.

Der oder day, vhen on der cars

I vent py Nie Yorck, oudt,

I meets a fraulein on der train,

Who dold me, mit a pout,

She likes der Deutscher shentlemens,

Und dells me sit peside her—

I dinks, inaype, I vas der fly,

Und she vas peen der shpider.

I vent indo der shmoking - car,

Vhere dhey vas blaying boker,

Und also haf somedings dhey calls

Der funny " leedle joker."

Some money id vas shanging hands,

Dhey wanted me to try—

I says, "You vas too brevious;

I don'd vas peen a fly!"

On Central Park a shmardt young man

Says, "Strauss, bow vas you peen?"

Und dake me kindly py der hand,

Und ask off mine Katrine.

He vants to shange a feefty bill,

Und says hees name vas Schneider—

Maype, berhaps he vas all righdt;

More like he vas a shpider.

Mosd efry day some shvindling chap,

He dries hees leedle game;

I cuts me oudt dot shpider biece,

Und poot id in a frame;

Righdt in mine shtore I hangs id oup,

Und near id, on der shly,

I geeps a glub, to send gvick oudt

Dhose shpiders "on der fly."