Hase fange
[Banater Post, Dec 15, 2014] 

Die Feldhase sin im Winter ins Dorf kumm, weil ufm Feld alles, was se sunscht fresse, zugschneet war.

In de Gärte han se gere die Krautsteck gfress, die wu iwrich geblieb sin, wann mer im Herbscht die Krautkepp abgschnitt hat. Wann ich im Garte ihre Fußspure im Schnee gsiehn han, han ich immer driwer nohgedenkt wie mer se fange kennt.

Ich han newe de Krautsteck Phole in die Erd gschlaa un han an die aus Droht gemachti Schlepp angebunn. Jede Morjet han ich im Garte nohgschaut, han awr schun vun weitm gsiehn, dass ke Hase in de Schlepp gstoch han. Do ware die Hase schun gscheider.

In de Weihnachtsferien, zu dere Zeit hat mer se schun Wintrferien nenne misse, hat’s de ganze Tach gschneet. Es war Zeit, etwas mit dene Hase zu tun.

Am Owed han mer bei uns gewart bis so gegn Mittenacht. Mir ware widr unser drei, un mir sin uf Hasejacht gang. In der neii Reih, wu die Gärte an die Hutwed gegrenzt han, han mer am Tach drvor bemerkt, dass villi Fußspure zu de Lecher im Gartezaun fihre.

Un der Zaun hat vill Lecher ghat. Mir han uns also gut angezoo un sin dorch die Gass bis uf die Hutwed gang. Vun dort sin mer hinne an de lechriche Zaun kumm un han aach gleich bemerkt, dass dort mehreri Hase im Garte ware. Mir ware jetz ufgeregt, han awr gwisst, was mer mache solle. Zwaa vun uns han sich an die zwaa greschte Zaunlecher gstellt un eener ist iwr de Zaun gegrawlt un uf die Hase zugeloff. Die Hase ware verstawert un sin geger die Hutwed geloff. Drbei sin villi im Drohtzaun hänge geblieb. Des war a Dorchenanner in dem Halbdunkl! Mir han vrsucht, so vieli Hase wie meglich mit der linksi Hand an de Hinnerfieß zu halle un ihne mit der rechti Hand hinner die Ohre zu schlaan.

Wie alles rum war, han mer awr nor zwaa Hase ghat, wu nimmi fortlaafe han kenne.

Mir han uns mit dene zwaa Hase uf de Hemmwech gemacht. In dr Nochberschgass war a lange Lattezaun, wu aach Lecher ghat hat. In ehm vun dene Lecher hat jemand a Schlopp ufgstellt ghat un dort war tatsechlich a Haas hänge geblieb. Es war schun geger een Uhr, un die Nochberschleit han alli gschlof. Weil mir unser drei ware un nor zwaa Hase ghat han, han mer de Haas eenfach ausm Schlopp ghol un mit unsre zwaa Hase hemmgetraa. Vielleicht sellte mer uns for des aach heit noch entschuldiche, awr mir wisse net, wer de Schlopp ufgstellt hat un außrdem hat der Mann warscheinlich nie rausgfunn, dass er a Haas im Schlopp ghat hat.

Mir han die drei Hase bei mir ufm Bode ufghängt un sin hemm schlofe gang. Am nächschte Tach han mer uf meim Hausbode dene Hase des Fell iwwr die Ohre gezoo. In wenigschtens drei Heiser hat’s dann Hasepaprikasch zum Mittachesse gin.

In dere Zeit, wu mer nor seltn Fleisch griet hat, war des a guti Abwechslung.

Mir han awr niemand etwas vun unser Hasejacht vrzähle kenne, weil Hase fange, wie so villes anri, eigentlich net erlaubt war.

Awr wie ufgeregt mir bei der Jacht ware, an des erinner ich mich heit noch gere.

Catching rabbits
Translated by Nick Tullius

The wild rabbits came into the village during the winter, because out in the field their usual food was all covered with snow.

In the village gardens, they liked to eat the was left of the cabbage plants after the cabbage heads had been cut off and carried away. When I saw their tracks in the snow of our garden, I always thought about ways to catch them.

I placed wooden poles in the ground next to the cabbage plants and tied wire-loop traps to them. Every morning I went to the garden to check my traps, but I could see from a distance that no rabbit was stuck in my traps. The rabbits were just simply too smart.

During the Christmas vacation – we were asked to call it winter vacation –  it was snowing all day. It was high time to do something about those rabbits.

That evening we waited at my place until close to midnight. Once again there were three of us and we decided to go rabbit hunting.

At the back of the row of houses called New Row that bordered on the meadows, we had noticed the day before that many rabbit tracks led to some holes in the wire fence. And that fence had many holes. We dressed well and went down the street to the snow-covered meadow. From there we reached the back of fence with the holes and noticed right away that several rabbits were in the garden.

We were getting very excited, but we knew what to do. Two of us took position at two of the largest holes in the fence, while another climbed over the fence and run towards the rabbits. The rabbits got scared and run toward the meadow. Many just jumped into the wire fence and got stuck. It was a mess and confusion in the semi-darkness! We tried to grab as many rabbits as possible by their hind legs with our left hand and hit them behind the ears with our right hand.

When all was done, we only had two rabbits that could no longer run away.

We took the two rabbits and headed home.

In a neighbouring street there was long wooden fence that also had some holes. Somebody had placed wire-loop traps in those holes, and in one of them a rabbit was actually trapped. It was getting close to one o’clock and all the neighbours were fast asleep.  Because we were three boys and had only  two rabbits, we took the rabbit from the trap and carried it home with our other two. Perhaps it would not be too late to apologize even today for doing that, but we never found out who had set that trap. Whoever it was, he probably never found out that he hat caught a rabbit in his trap. We hang up the three rabbits in my attic and each one of us went home to go to sleep. On the following day we got together to skin and butcher our rabbits. At least in three houses there was rabbit-paprikasch for lunch.

In those days, when meat was rarely available, it was a nice change indeed. We could not tell anybody about our rabbit hunt, because catching rabbits was also forbidden, like so much else. But the excitement we felt at that rabbit hunt remains as a pleasant memory to this day.