Entrance to Neuendorf
The playground, which has existed since 1994, underwent extensive repairs in August 2018. Now you can climb, swing and romp around here again. Incidentally, the playground also tells the story of the Brothers Grimm's "Fischer un sin Fru", which you can read again here.
Once upon a time there was a fisherman and his wife who lived together in an old pot, close to the sea, and the fisherman went fishing every day; and he fished and fished. Once he sat by the rod and looked into the clear water; and he sat and sat.
Then the line went down to the bottom, deep down, and when he brought it up, he pulled out a large butt. Then the fish said to him, "Listen, fisherman, I beg you, let me live, I am not a real fish, I am a cursed prince. What good will it do you if you kill me? I would not taste right to you; put me back into the water and let me swim." - "Well," said the man, "you need not say so many words; I would have let a fish that can speak swim as it is." With that he put it back into the clear water; then the fish went to the bottom and drew a long streak of blood after it. Now the fisherman got up and went to his wife in the pot. "Husband," said the wife, "have you caught nothing today?" - "No," said the husband, "I caught a fish that said it was a prince charming, so I let it swim again." - "Have you not wished for anything?" asked the wife. "No," said the man, "what should I wish for?" - "Oh," said the woman, "it's terrible to always live in a pot like this; it's disgusting and stinks. You could have wished us a little hut. Go and call him again; tell him we should like to have a little hut, he will certainly do it." - "Ah," said the man, "why should I go again?" - "Oh," said the woman, "you caught him, and let him swim again, he will certainly do it. Go at once." The man did not quite want to go, but did not want to displease his wife, and went to the sea. - When he got there, the sea was all green and yellow and not at all clear. So he stood up and said:
"Manntje' Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want what I want."
Then the fish came swimming up and said: "Well, what does she want?" - "Oh," said the man, "I had caught you, and my wife says I should have wished for something too. She no longer likes to live in a pot, she would like to have a hut." - "Go ahead," said the fish, "she already has one."
So the man went there, and his wife was no longer sitting in a pot, but there was a little hut, and his wife was sitting on a bench in front of the door. Then his wife took him by the hand, and said to him, "Come in, see, it is much better now.' So they went in, and in the hut there was a little forecourt, and a splendid parlor and chamber, where there was a bed for every one, and a kitchen and pantry, all beautifully furnished with utensils, and beautifully dressed up, with pewter and brass, and everything that belonged in it. At the back was a small yard with chickens and ducks and a small garden with vegetables and fruit. "Look," said the woman, "isn't it nice?" - "Yes," said the man, "let's keep it that way, now let's live happily." - "Let's think about that," said the woman. And then they ate and went to bed.
This went on for eight or fourteen days, when the woman said, "Listen, husband, the hut is too small, and the yard and the garden are so small; the fish could have given us a bigger house. I would like to live in a big stone castle. Go to the fish, let him give us a castle." - "Oh, wife," said the man, "the hut is good enough, what do we want to live in a castle?" - "Well," said the woman, "you go ahead, the fish can do that." - "No, wife," said the man, "the fish has only given us the hut, I don't want to come again, it would annoy the fish." - "Go on," said the wife, "he is quite good at it, and likes to do it; you go." The man's heart was so heavy, and he would not; he said to himself, "It is not right," but he went after all.
When he came to the sea, the water was all purple and dark blue and gray and thick, and no longer green and yellow, but it was calm. So he stood up and said:
"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want what I want."
"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, half sad, "she wants to live in a big stone castle." - "Go ahead, she's standing at the door," said the fish.
So the man went and thought he would go home, but when he got there, there was a great stone palace, and his wife was standing at the top of the stairs and wanted to go in; so she took him by the hand and said:
"Come in." And so he went in with her, and in the palace there was a great hall with a marble floor, and there were so many servants, who pulled open the great doors, and the walls were all bare and covered with beautiful wallpaper, and in the rooms there was a large hallway.And in the rooms were all golden chairs and tables, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and in all the parlors and chambers there were footcloths, and food and the very best wines stood on the tables as if they were about to break. And behind the house was a large courtyard with stables for horses and cows and carriages of the very best quality, and a large, beautiful garden with the most beautiful flowers and fine fruit trees, and a pleasure forest probably half a mile long, with stags and deer and hares in it and everything you could wish for. "Well," said the woman, "isn't it beautiful now?" - "Oh yes," said the man, "it shall remain so, now we also want to live in the beautiful castle and be content. " - "Let us think of that," said the wife, "and sleep on it." With that they went to bed.
The next morning the wife woke up first; it was daylight, and from their beds they could see the beautiful country before them. The man was still stretching when she nudged him in the side with her elbow and said, "Man, get up and look out of the window! Look, can't we become king over all this land? Go to the fish, we want to be king." - "Oh, woman," said the man, "what do we want to be king of! I don't like being king."
- "Well," said the woman, "if you don't want to be king, I want to be king. Go to the fish, I want to be king." - "Oh, woman," said the man, "what do you want to be king for, I don't want to tell him." - "Why not?" said the woman, "Go at once, I must be king." Then the man went and was very sorry that his wife wanted to be king. "That's not right and it's not right," thought the man. He didn't want to go, but he went anyway.
And when he came to the sea, the sea was all black and gray, and the water was so foul inside and smelled rotten. So he stood up and said:
"Manntje' Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want what I want."
"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, "she wants to be king." - "Go on, she already is," said the fish.
So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had grown much larger, with a great tower and splendid ornaments on it; and the shield-guard stood before the gate, and there were so many soldiers with kettledrums and trumpets. And when he came into the house, everything was of pure marble with gold and velvet ceilings and great golden tassels. His wife sat on a high throne of gold and diamond, with a great golden crown on her head and a sceptre in her hand, of pure gold and precious stone, and on either side of her stood six virgins in a row, each one a head shorter than the other. Then he stood and said, "O woman, are you now king?" - "Yes," said the woman, "now I am king." Then he stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, "Ah, woman, how beautiful it is when you are king! Now we will wish for nothing more." - "No, man," said the woman, and became quite restless, "the time and the while have become so long that I cannot endure it any longer. Go to the fish, I am king, now I must also become emperor." - "Ah, woman," said the man, "what do you want to become emperor for?" - "Man," she said, "go to the fish, I want to be emperor." - "Oh, woman," said the man, "he can't be emperor, I don't want to tell the fish that; an emperor is only once in the kingdom. The fish can't be emperor, he can't and can't." - "What," said the woman, "I am king, and you are only my husband, do you want to go right away? Go at once; if he can make king, he can also make emperor, I will be emperor now. Go at once!" So he had to go. But when the man went, he was very anxious, and as he went he thought to himself, "That won't do, it won't do, the emperor is too impudent, the fish will get tired of it in the end."
So he came to the sea; there the sea was still quite black and thick, and began to ferment from within, so that it threw up bubbles, and a gust of wind passed over it, which stirred it up, and the man was seized with horror. Then he stood up and said:
"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want what I want."
"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh, fish," he said, "my wife wants to be emperor." - "Go ahead," said the fish, "she already is."
So the man went, and when he got there, the whole castle was made of polished marble with golden figures and golden ornaments. The soldiers were marching in front of the gate, blowing trumpets and beating drums and kettledrums. But in the house, where the barons and counts and dukes went about as servants, they opened the doors for him, which were of pure gold. And when he came in, there sat his wife on a throne, which was of one piece of gold, and was six cubits high, and she had on a mighty great golden crown, set with diamonds and carbuncles. In one hand she had the sceptre and in the other the orb, and on either side of her stood the satellites in two rows, always one smaller than the other, from the very tallest giant, who was over six cubits high, to the very smallest dwarf, who was only as big as my little finger. And in front of her stood so many princes and dukes. Then the man stood up shyly and said, "Woman, are you emperor now?" - "Yes," she said, "I am emperor.' Then he went nearer and looked her over, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, 'Ah, woman, how beautiful it is when you are emperor."' - "Man," said she, "what are you standing there for? I am now emperor, but now I also want to be pope; go to the fish." - "Oh, woman," said the man, "what don't you want? You can't become pope, there's only one pope in Christendom, he can't do that." - "Husband," she said, "I want to become pope; go straight there, I have to become pope today."
- "No, woman," said the man, "I don't like to say that, it won't do, it's too coarse, the fish can't become pope." - "Man, what a lot of snark!" said the woman, "he can become emperor, he can also become pope. Go at once, I am emperor, and you are only my husband. Will you go?" Then he was afraid and went, but he felt quite miserable, he trembled and shook, and his knees and calves trembled. And then a wind blew over the land, and the clouds flew as it grew dark towards evening. The leaves blew from the trees, and the water rushed and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed against the shore, and in the distance he saw the ships, shooting in distress and dancing and jumping on the waves. But the sky was still a little blue in the middle, but on the sides it was coming up like a heavy thunderstorm. So he stood there in fear, quite despondent, and said:
"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the lisebill,
Will not do as I would like."
"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, "she wants to be pope." - "Go on, she already is."
So he went, and when he got there, it was like a big church surrounded by palaces. There he pushed his way through the people. Inside, however, everything was illuminated with a thousand and a thousand lights, and his wife was dressed in pure gold and sat on a much higher throne and had three large golden crowns on and around her so much of the spiritual state, and on either side of her stood two rows of lights, the largest so thick and large that it was like a golden crown.The largest was as thick and tall as the tallest tower, down to the smallest kitchen light; and all the emperors and kings were on their knees before her and kissed her slipper. "Woman," asked the man, looking at her, "are you now Pope?" - "Yes," said she, "I am Pope." Then he stood looking at her, and it was as if he were looking into the bright sun. When he had looked at her thus for some time, he said:
"Oh, woman, how nice it is when you are Pope!" But she sat as stiff as a log and did not move or stir. Then he said, "Woman, be content, now you are pope, you cannot become anything more." - "I will think of that," said the woman. With that they both went to bed, but she was not satisfied, and greed would not let her sleep, she was always thinking about what else she wanted to become.
The man slept well and soundly, he had walked a lot during the day, but the woman could not fall asleep at all and tossed from side to side all night, always thinking about what she might become and yet could not think of anything. In the meantime the sun was about to rise, and when she saw the dawn, she sat up in bed and looked in, and when she saw the sun coming up from the window - "ha," she thought, "can't I make the sun and the moon rise too?" - "Man," she said and elbowed him in the ribs, "wake up, go to the fish, I want to become like the good Lord." The man was still half asleep, but he was so startled that he fell out of bed. He thought he had misheard and rubbed his eyes and asked, "Oh, woman, what did you say?"
- "Man," she said, "if I can't make the sun and moon rise and have to watch the sun and moon rise like this, I can't stand it and I won't have a quiet hour if I can't make them rise myself. Then she looked at him in such a great way that a shudder ran over him." "Go right away, I want to become like the good Lord." "Oh, woman," said the man and fell on his knees before her, "the fish can't do that, he can make emperor and pope; I beg you, go into yourself and remain pope." Then she flew into a rage, her hair flew wildly about her head, she tore open her bodice, struck him with her foot and cried, "I can't stand it, and I can't stand it any longer. Will you go right away?" Then he slipped into his pants and ran away as if out of his mind.
Outside, however, the storm was raging and roaring so that he could hardly stand on his feet. The houses and the trees were blown down, and the mountains shook, and the rocks rolled into the sea, and the sky was pitch black, and there was thunder and lightning, and the sea went up in black waves as high as steeples and mountains, and all had a white crown of foam on top. Then he cried out and could not hear his own words:
"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje' Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want what I want."
"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, "she wants to be like the good Lord." "Go on, she's already back in the old pot."
There they both sit to this day.
-End-
