Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/The Puzzled Dutchman

by Charles Follen Adams

THE PUZZLED DUTCHMAN.

I'm a proken-hearted Deutscher,

Vot's villed mit crief und shame.

I dells you vot der drouple ish:

I doosn't know my name.

You dinks dis fery vunny, eh ?

Ven you der schtory hear,

You vill not vender den so mooch,

It vas so schtrange und queer.

Mine moder had dwo leedle twins;

Dey vas me und mine broder:

Ve lookt so fery mooch alike,

No von knew vich vrom toder.

Von off der poys vas "Yawcob,"

Und "Hans" der Oder's name:

But den it made no tifferent;

Ve both got called der same.

Vell! von off us got tead, —

Yaw, Mynheer, dot ish so!

But vedder Hans or Yawcob,

Mine moder she don'd know.

Und so I am in drouples:

I gan't kit droo mine hed

''Vedder I'm Hans vot's lifing,

Or Yawcob vot is tead!