Dear citizens,
The municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin wishes you a Merry Christmas with your loved ones.
We hope you enjoyed the Advent calendar and have guessed the correct solution word.
Merry Christmas greetings!
Servant Ruprecht
Ruprecht: Have a good evening, old and young
I am well known to all.
I come from out of the forest;
I must tell you it is very Christmassy!
I saw golden lights sitting everywhere on the tops of the fir trees
;
and up above from the heavenly gate
the Christ Child looked out with wide eyes.
And as I stumbled through the dark fir trees,
he called to me in a bright voice:
Servant Ruprecht, he called, old chap,
lift your legs and hurry!
The candles are beginning to burn,
the gates of heaven are open,
Old and young shall now
rest from the chase of life;
and tomorrow I shall fly down to earth,
for it shall be Christmas again!
So go quickly from house to house.
Choose the good children for me,
so that I may remember them
and present them with beautiful gifts.
I said: O dear Lord Christ,
My journey is almost over.
I am only to go to this city,
where there are many good children.
Do you have the little bag with you?
I said: The little sack is here,
for apples, nuts and almonds
are what pious children like to eat.
Do you have the rod with you?
I said: the rod is here.
But for the children, only the bad ones,
it hits them on the part that is right.
Christ Child said: That's right.
So go with God, my faithful servant!
I come from out of the forest,
I must tell you it's Christmas time!
Now say as I find it here:
Are they good children, are they bad children?
Father: The little children are probably all good,
just have a bit of defiant courage from time to time.
Ruprecht: Egg, egg, my long rod is good for defiant childishness
!
Don't you sometimes say:
Put your head down and your trousers down?
Father: As one sins, he will be punished;
the little children are all good.
Ruprecht: Do you also put your nose to the grindstone,
read and write and do enough maths?
Father: They learn with their little strength,
we hope to God that they will finally succeed.
Ruprecht: Do you also pray your evening prayers in bed according to the old custom
?
Father: The other day I heard a small voice speaking alone in the chamber
;
and when I stepped to the door,
I heard it praying for all my loved ones.
Ruprecht: So take Christkindlein's greeting,
cakes and apples, apples and nuts;
try some of his gifts
tomorrow you shall have something better.
Then come in to you with his candlelight
Christkindlein himself.
Today he is still keeping watch in the sky;
now sleep gently, have a good night.
(Theodor Storm)
Source photo: © Espressolia / pixelio.de