The Wildmannli are much more knowledgeable than other folk, and the mountain people of Vättnerberg have learned a lot, including how to cut wood.

In the early days, we all cut the wood with the axe. The Wildmannli went to look for the wood and after they had listened to a pair of foolish mountain men they shook their heads in anger and said: “We don’t want to show you how to cut wood.”

The next day, as it turned out, the Wildmannli were already waiting to meet them with a freshly sharpened saw. A Wildmannli took one end of the saw and a mountain man the other and then together they cut the tree trunk. When the Danna fell, the mountain man went to the Finggastrich and sprang like a tired horse.

But the Wildmannli only took two steps and stood still. He didn’t do anything, but the other man got hit on the ear by the falling tree. When this man looked back, he asked: “Why didn’t you also flee? The Wildmannli said: “Didn’t you see? I saw which way the tree would fall and then stepped the other way.”

From now on, the mountain people knew how to cut wood and how to produce it for other people. That’s how things are in the world. But they say to each other: “You can probably still learn something from small folk.”

L. Jäger.

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Editor’s note: Danna is local name for a type of fir tree.

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Die Vättnerberger lernen das Holzfällen

Dia wilda Mannli sind in viela Stugga viel gschieder g’sie as ander Lüt, und d’Vättnerberger hind viel vuna glehrt, under anderm au das, wia me d’s Holz fellt.

Frühjer het ma d’s Holz allbig nu mit der Äx gfellt. Doa sind dinn dia wilda Mannli, wils au gär gwünderig gsie sind, chu ga zualuaga und hind indli, wos’ a paar dumma Kärli zuagluagat gha hind, d’Chöpf erschüttet und hind gseit: “Miar wind ni zeiga, wia ma Holz fellt.”

Am andara Dag, wias gwieset het, sa sind die wilda Mannli schu mit ara frisch gfielata Schrötersaga uf Ort und Stell gsie und hind da Berger grüaft. Nohär hind die zwei Mannli mit anand agfocht saga, und die andara hind zuagluagat. Wias-as sie halba igsagat kha hind, het müasa a Berger mit d’m eina Mannli fertig saga. Wil doa d’Danna gfalla ist, het d’r Berger da Finggastrich gnu und ist gsprunga, sa ross as er müga het.

Das wild Mannli het aber nu zwei Schritt gmacht und ist stillgstanda. Im hets nüt doa: aber da andara hets um ei Hour erschlaga. Wia das d’Berger gsieh hind, hinds gfroget: “Worum bist du nit witer gstoha?” D’s Mannli het gseit: “Hinders nit gsieh? I ha nu dur Danna uffi gluagat, uf wehli Sita as si falli, und dua bin i nu uf di ander gstanda.”

Vu jetz aweg hind d’Berger gwüsst, wia ma Holz fell und das au ander Lüta erzellt. Aso ist d’ Sach in d’ Welt ussi chu. Sie hind dua bem Heiguh aber zuwanand gseit: “Ma cha mingmohl no vu Chlina etschwas lehra.”
L. Jäger.