The English Gipsies and Their Language Part 19

GUDLO II. THE GIPSY STORY OF THE BIRD AND THE HEDGEHOG.

'Pre yeck divvus a hotchewitchi d.i.c.ked a chillico adree the puv, and the chillico pukkered lesco, "Mor jal pauli by the kushto wastus, or the hunters' graias will chiv tute adree the chick, mullo; an' if you jal the waver rikk by the bongo wast, dovo's a Rommany tan adoi, and the Rommany chals will haw tute." Penned the hotchewitchi, "I'd rather jal with the Rommany chals, an' be hawed by foki that kaum mandy, than be pirraben apre by chals that d.i.c.k kaulo apre mandy."

It's kushtier for a tacho Rom to be mullered by a Rommany pal than to be nashered by the Gorgios.

TRANSLATION.

On a day a hedgehog met a bird in the field, and the bird told him, "Do not go around by the right hand, or the hunters' horses will trample you dead in the dirt; and if you go around by the left hand, there's a Gipsy tent, and the Gipsies will eat you." Said the hedgehog, "I'd rather go with the Gipsies, and be eaten by folk that like me, than be trampled on by people that despise (literally, look black upon) me."

It is better for a real Gipsy to be killed by a Gipsy brother than to be hung by Gorgios.

GUDLO III. A STORY OF A FORTUNE-TELLER.

Yeckorus a tano Gorgio chivved apre a shubo an' jalled to a puri Rommany dye to get dukkered. And she pookered lester, "Tute'll rummorben a Fair Man with kauli yakkas." Then the raklo delled laki yeck shukkori an'

penned, "If this shukkori was as boro as the hockaben tute pukkered mandy, tute might porder sar the bongo tem with rupp." But, hatch a wongish!--maybe in a divvus, maybe in a curricus, maybe a dood, maybe a besh, maybe waver divvus, he rummorbend a rakli by the nav of Fair Man, and her yakkas were as kaulo as miri juva's.

There's always dui rikk to a dukkerben.

TRANSLATION.

Once a little Gorgio put on a woman's gown and went to an old Gipsy mother to have his fortune told. And she told him, "You'll marry a Fair Man with black eyes." Then the young man gave her a sixpence and said, "If this sixpence were as big as the lie you told me, you could fill all h.e.l.l with silver." But, stop a bit! after a while--maybe in a week, maybe a month, maybe in a year, maybe the other day--he married a girl by the name of Fair Man, and her eyes were as black as my sweetheart's.

There are always two sides to a prediction.

GUDLO IV. HOW THE ROYSTON ROOK DECEIVED THE ROOKS AND PIGEONS.

'Pre yeck divvus a Royston rookus jalled mongin the kaulo chiriclos, an'

they putched (pootschered) him, "Where did tute ch.o.r.e tiro pauno chukko?"

And yuv pookered, "Mandy ch.o.r.ed it from a biksherro of a pigeon." Then he jalled a-men the pigeons an' penned, "Sarishan, pals?" And they putched lesti, "Where did tute lel akovo kauli rokamyas te byascros?" And yuv penned, "Mandy ch.o.r.ed 'em from those wafri mushis the rookuses."

Pash-ratis pen their kokeros for Gorgios mongin Gorgios, and for Rommany mongin Rommany chals.

TRANSLATION.

On a day a Royston rook {206} went among the crows (black birds), and they asked him, "Where did you steal your white coat?" And he told (them), "I stole it from a fool of a pigeon." Then he went among the pigeons and said, "How are you, brothers?" And they asked him, "Where did you get those black trousers and sleeves?" And he said, "I stole 'em from those wretches the rooks."

Half-breeds call themselves Gorgio among Gorgios, and Gipsy among Gipsies.

GUDLO V. THE GIPSY'S STORY OF THE GORGIO AND THE ROMMANY CHAL.

Once 'pre a chairus (or chyrus) a Gorgio penned to a Rommany chal, "Why does tute always jal about the tem ajaw? There's no kushtoben in what don't hatch acai." Penned the Rommany chal, "Sikker mandy tute's wongur!" And yuv sikkered him a cutter (cotter?), a bar, a pash-bar, a pash-cutter, a pange-cullo (caulor?) bittus, a pash-krooner (korauna), a dui-cullos bittus, a trin-mushi, a shuckori, a stor'oras, a trin'oras, a dui'oras, a haura, a poshero, a lulli, a pash-lulli. Penned the Rommany chal, "Acovo's sar wafri wongur." "Kek," penned the Gorgio; "se sar kushto an' kirus. Chiv it adree tute's wast and shoon it ringus." "Avo,"

penned the Rommany chal. "Tute pookered mandy that only wafri covvas keep jallin', te 'covo wongur has jalled sar 'pre the 'tem adusta timei (or timey)."

Sar mushis aren't all sim ta rukers (rukkers.) Some must pirraben, and can't besh't a lay.

TRANSLATION.

Once upon a time a Gorgio said to a Gipsy, "Why do you always go about the country so? There is 'no good' in what does not rest (literally, stop here)." Said the Gipsy, "Show me your money!" And he showed him a guinea, a sovereign, a half-sovereign, a half-guinea, a five-shilling piece, a half-crown, a two-shilling piece, a shilling, a sixpence, a fourpenny piece, a threepence, a twopence, a penny, a halfpenny, a farthing, a half-farthing. Said the Gipsy, "This is all bad money."

"No," said the other man; "it is all good and sound. Toss it in your hand and hear it ring!" "Yes," replied the Gipsy. "You told me that only bad things _keep going_, and this money has gone all over the country many a time."

All men are not like trees. Some must travel, and cannot keep still.

GUDLO VI. HOW THE GIPSY BRIBED THE POLICEMAN.

Once apre a chairus a Rommany chal ch.o.r.ed a rani chillico (or chiriclo), and then jalled atut a prastramengro 'pre the drum. "Where did tute ch.o.r.e adovo rani?" putchered the prastramengro. "It's kek rani; it's a pauno rani that I kinned 'dree the gav to del tute." "Tacho," penned the prastramengro, "it's the kushtiest pauno rani mandy ever d.i.c.kdus. Ki did tute kin it?"

Avali, many's the chairus mandy's tippered a trinmushi to a prastramengro ta mukk mandy hatch my tan with the chavvis.

TRANSLATION.

Once on a time a Gipsy stole a turkey, and then met a policeman on the road. "Where did you steal that turkey?" asked the policeman. "It's no turkey; it's a goose that I bought in the town to give you." "Fact,"

said the policeman, "it _is_ the finest goose I ever saw. Where _did_ you buy it?"

Yes, many's the time I have given a shilling (three fourpence) to a policeman to let me pitch my tent with the children. {209}

GUDLO VII. HOW A GIPSY LOST THREEPENCE.

Yeckorus a choro mush besht a lay ta kair trin horras-worth o' peggi for a masengro. There jessed alang's a rye, who penned, "Tool my gry, an'

I'll del tute a shukori." While he tooled the gry a rani pookered him, "Rikker this trushni to my ker, an' I'll del tute a trin grushi." So he lelled a chavo to tool the gry, and pookered lester, "Tute shall get pash the wongur." Well, as yuv was rikkinin' the trushnee an' siggerin burry ora bender the drum, he d.i.c.ked a rye, who penned, "If tute'll jaw to the ker and hatch minni's juckal ta mandy, mi'll del tute a pash-korauna." So he got a waver chavo to rikker the trushnee for pash the wongur, whilst he jalled for the juckal. Wellin' alangus, he d.i.c.ked a barvelo givescro, who penned, "'Avacai an' husker mandy to lel my guruvni (_gruvni_) avree the ditch, and I'll del you pange cullos" (caulos). So he lelled it. But at the kunsus of the divvus, sa yuv sus kennin apre sustis wongurs, he penned, "How wafro it is mandy nashered the trinoras I might have lelled for the ma.s.s-koshters!"

A mush must always pet the giv in the puv before he can chin the harvest.