Wachtle fange
[Banater Post, Dec 15, 2014]

Im Summer han im Dorf, uf dr Hutwed un ufm Hottar so manchi Vegl gsung. Die Wachtle awr, die han net gsung, die han gschlaa. Eigentlich hat’s sich so wie „taktrlack-tack“ anghert, mer kann jo solchi Vogelstimme iwrhaupt net gut beschreiwe. Eene vun mei Kumrade hat a Wachtlkäwich ghat. De Käwich han mir Buwe oft bewunnert. Der war aus Holz gmacht, un han vore so a Art Kanzl ghat, mit senkrechti Holzstäbche, wu so arranschiert ware, dass mer de Vogl gut gsiehn hat, dass er awr net rauskumme hat kenne. Uf eener Seit hat sei Haisl a rundes Loch ghat, wu dr Wachtl hat kenne sei Kopp rausstrecke un sei Keere fresse. Uf dr anri Seit war a anres Loch, wu dr Wachtl hat kenne Wasser trinke. Des enzichi Problem war, dass der Käwich leer war un mei Freind hätt gere a Wachtl ghat. Mir han uns erkundicht, was mer zum Wachtlefange braucht. Do drzu hat mer erschtns a Netz gebraucht, un zweitens a speziales Pheifl, nenne mer’s a Locker. De Locker hat so wie a kleeni Ledderbrieftasch ausgschaut, un in der hat a kleene hohle Knoche gstoch, der wu eigentlich a Pheifl war. Im Innre vun dem Ledder ware Rosshoor, so dass die „Brieftasch“ immer mit Luft gfillt war. Mit vill rumsuche hat ener vun uns die zwaa notwendiche Dinger vun seim Onkl gelehnt. An’me scheene Owed, so zwischn Frihjohr un Summer, war’s soweit. Drei vun uns Buwe sin Wachtle fange gang. Geger Owed sin mer ins Feld gang, so geger die Uiheler Stroß, wu die Frucht noch grien awr schun zimlich hoch gewachst war. Irgendwu, net weit weg, hat a Wachtl gschlaa. Mir han des Netz owe iwr die Frucht ausgspannt und han uns hinner’s Netz geleet. Dann hat eener vun uns de Locker in die linksi Handghol un hat mit dem Knechl vum rechte Zeigefinger uf des Ledder gstoßt: „tick-tick, tick-tick“. Des war dem Ruf ähnlich, wu a weiblichi Wachtl ausgstoß hat, wann se geredie Gsellschaft vun’me männliche Wachtl hätt ghat. De männliche Wachtl, des war der, wu gschlaa hat, der hat dem weibliche Ruf net widerstehe kenne, wie die männliche Wese in dr Natur schun so sin. Wann alles ruhich war, han mer nochmol „tick-tick, ticktick“ gemacht. Der Wachtl is immer näher kumm, sei Schlaae is immer stärker (lauter) gin. Mir Buwe han die Spannung kaum aushalle kenne bis er unnerm Netz war. Dann hätte mer solle ufspringe un schreie, so dass der Wachtl pletzlich ufflieht un im Netz hänge bleibt. So hätt des solle passiere, awr die Wachtle ware aa net dumm. Eener vun ihne is vun owe ufs Netz gfloo kumm, un wie mer ufgsprung sin, is er eenfach widr fortgfloo. E annre war noch net ganz unnerm Netz, wie mer ufgsprung sin un gschrie han; der is aach fortgfloo. Am End sin mer ohne Wachtl widdr hemmgang, awr es war a scheene, ufregende Owed un mir han spätr noch immer drvun gered.

Catching Quail
Translated by Nick Tullius

During the summer many birds could be heard singing in the village and in the fields. But the quails were not actually singing, they made a deep-throated sound like „taktrlack-tack“, which is difficult to transcribe. One of my friends owned a cage for quails. The boys often admired that cage. It was made of wood and had a kind of canopy in front, with vertical wooden rods, arranged so that the bird could be seen, but it could not escape. On one side of the cage there was a round hole, through which the quail could stick his head and eat the seeds provided in an attached container.  On the other side of the cage there was another round hole, through which the quail could stick his head and drink water from another attached container. The only problem was that my friend’s cage was empty, and he really wanted to put a quail in it. We inquired about what was needed to go out into the fields and catch a quail. First, we needed a net, and second a special type of whistle, let’s call it an enticer. This enticer looked like a small leather wallet in which was stuck a small hollow bone that was actually a whistle. Inside the leather wallet there was a bunch of horse hair that kept it filled with air.  After much searching around, one of us managed to borrow these two necessary items from an uncle. On a nice evening, between spring and summer, we were ready. Three of us headed out to catch quails. Towards evening we went out into the fields, in the direction of the street that led to Uihel (Neusiedl), where the wheat plants were still green but had grown quite tall. Somewhere in the distance, not far away, we heard a male quail voicing his „taktrlack-tack”. We spread out the net on top of the wheat plants and laid down behind the net. Then one of us held the enticer in his left hand and hit the leather with the knuckle of his right hand. The resulting „tick-tick, tick-tick“. Sound resembled the sound produced by the female quail, when she wanted the company of a male quail. The male quail, the one that produced the „taktrlack-tack” sound, like most males in nature, could not resist the call of the female. When everything got quiet, we repeated our „tick-tick, tick-tick“. The male quail came closer and closer, as we could hear from the increasing loudness of his sound. We boys could barely stand the increasing tension until he was under the net. At that point we were supposed to jump up and yell, so that he would panic and take flight, thus getting stuck in our net. That is how it was supposed to happen, but those quails were not stupid. One of them came flying instead of running, and ended up on top of the net. When we jumped up, he just flew away. Another one was not quite under the net when we jumped up yelling; he also managed to fly away. In the end we went home without a quail, but it was a beautiful and exciting evening and we kept talking about it for a long time afterwards.