Two
besties,
Fritz
and
Ferdinand,
Would
always
travel
hand
in
hand.
And
even
in
their
love
affairs
You
saw
at
once
how
much
they
shared.
They
both
adored
the
neighbors’
Katie,
A
dainty,
curly‐blonde‐haired
lady.
Archly
did
she
once
declare
,
“Who’ll
fetch
for
me
a
summer
pear?
Juicy,
please,
but
not
too
small?
He
then
shall
be
the
best
of
all.”
Fritz
spoke
to
his
friend
and
said
“Together
we’ll
put
our
two
heads;
Old
Mister
Schramm
resides
up
there,
His
orchards
have
the
finest
pears;
You
climb
up
one
and
shake
it
slow,
And
I’ll
keep
watch
down
here
below.”
No
sooner
said
than
done,
they
stole
Across
the
yard
and
reached
their
goal.
But
at
the
fall
of
the
first
pear,
Fritz
high‐tailed
it
out
of
there.
For
wily
Schramm
came
through
the
leaves,
A
cane
in
hand
to
whip
the
thieves.
Ferdinand
him
too
could
see,
And
tried
to
scramble
down
the
tree,
In
fearfulness,
and
in
great
haste.
But
when
his
feet
on
earth
were
placed,
Schramm’s
reed
did
thrash
him
to
the
bone
As
if
to
tenderize
a
stone.
Ferdinand,
in
fiery
pain,
Escaped,
and
looked
for
Fritz … in
vain.
He
stood
as
rooted
to
the
spot‐
If
what
he
saw
could
be
forgot!
Fritz
was
kissed
by
Katy
fair,
Whereupon
she
ate
a
pear.
Since
this
took
place,
go
Ferdinand
And
Fritz
no
longer
hand
in
hand.
Wilhelm Busch (translated by Andrew Hudson)