Heinrich Hoffman: The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb (translated by Mark Twain)

One day, Mamma said, "Conrad dear,
I must go out and leave you here.
But mind now, Conrad, what I say,
Don't suck your thumb while I'm away.
The great tall tailor always comes
To little boys that suck their thumbs.
And ere they dream what he's about
He takes his great sharp scissors
And cuts their thumbs clean off, - and then
You know, they never grow again."
Mamma had scarcely turn'd her back,
The thumb was in, alack! alack!
The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman.
Oh! children, see! the tailor's come
And caught our little Suck-a-Thumb.



Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;
And Conrad cries out - Oh! Oh! Oh!
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;-
"Ah!" said Mamma "I knew he'd come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."

Mārtiņa Vērdiņa atdzejojums:

Konrād, mammai jāaiziet,
Paliec mājās viens mazliet.
Esi kārtīgs, nēesi skaļš,
Kamēr nākšu atpakaļ.
Tikai sarunāsim tā:
Īkšķi gan vairs nesūkā
Ja kāds īkšķi sūkāt sāk,
skroderis ar šķērēm nāk.
Saķers tevi un, ak posts,
Īkšķi ņems un griezīs nost."
Necik tālu mamma nav,
Hops, un īkšķis mutē jau!
Blīkš! Un durvis atvēris,
Ātri ieskrien skroderis,
Lielās Šķēres rokā ķer,
Konrādam pēc īkšķa tver.
Šņik un Šņak! tā šķēres šņirkst,
Meklē kur ir zēnam pirksts,
Lielās asās šķēres skan.
Abi īkšķi nost jau man!"
Tad, kad mamma mājās nāk,
Konrāds žēli raudāt sāk,
Stāv bez īkšķiem kluss un bāls.
Te nu mūsu stāstam gals.