Andersen's fairy tales
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The days of the week once wanted to be free to get together and have a party. But each of the seven days was so occupied, the year around, that they had no time to spare. They wanted a whole extra day; but then they had that every four years, the intercalary day that comes in February for the purpose of keeping order in chronology.
Ugedagene ville også engang slå sig løs, komme sammen og holde gilde. Hver dag var i øvrigt så optaget, at de, året rundt, ikke havde fritid at råde over; de måtte have en aparte hel dag, men den havde de da også hvert fjerde år: Skuddagen, der lægges i februar for at bringe orden i tidsregningen.
On the intercalary day they would get together for a party, and, as February is the month of carnivals, they would come in costumes of each one's taste and choice; they would eat well, drink well, make speeches, and be complimentary and disagreeable to one another in unrestrained comradeship. While the vikings of olden times used to throw their gnawed-off bones at each other's heads during mealtime, the days of the week intended to throw jokes and sarcastic witticisms such as might be in keeping with the innocent carnival spirit.
På skuddagen ville de altså komme sammen til gilde, og da februar er fastelavnsmåned, ville de komme karnevalsklædte efter hvers fornemmelse og bestemmelse; spise godt, drikke godt, holde taler og sige hverandre behageligheder og ubehageligheder i ugenert kammeratskab. Oldtidens kæmper kastede hverandre, ved måltiderne, de afgnavede kødben i hovedet, ugedagene ville derimod dænge hverandre over med mundgodt af brandere og skarnagtige vittigheder, som de kan falde i uskyldige fastelavnsløjer.
So when it was intercalary day, they assembled.
Så var det skuddag, og så kom de sammen.
Sunday, foreman of the days of the week, appeared in a black silk cloak; pious people thought he was dressed for church in a minister's gown, but the worldly minded saw that he was attired in a domino for merriment and that the flashing carnation he wore in his buttonhole was a little red theater lantern on which it said, "All sold our; see now that you enjoy yourselves!"
Søndag, formand for ugedagene, trådte op i sort silkekappe; fromme mennesker ville tro, at han var præsteklædt til at gå i kirke; verdensbørn så, at han var i domino for at gå på lystighed, og at den blussende nellike, han bar i knaphullet, var teatrets lille røde lygte, som sagde: "Alt er udsolgt, se nu til at I morer eder!"
Monday, a young fellow related to Sunday, and very fond of pleasures, came next. He left his workshop, he said, whenever he heard the music of the parade of the guard.
Mandag, ungt menneske, i familie med søndagen, og særligt hengiven til fornøjelse, fulgte efter. Han forlod værkstedet, sagde han, når vagtparaden trak op.
"I must go out and listen to Offenbach's music; it doesn't go to my head or to my heart; it tickles my leg muscles; I must dance, have a few drinks, get a black eye, sleep it off, and then the next day go to work. I am the new part of the week!"
"Jeg må ud at høre Offenbachs musik; den går mig ikke til hovedet og ikke til hjertet, den kriller mig i benmusklerne, jeg må danse, have en svir, få et blåt øje at sove på og så tage fat på arbejdet næste dag. Jeg er nyet i ugen!"
Tuesday is Tyr's day, the day of strength.
Tirsdag: Tyrs dag, kraftens dag. –
"Yes, that I am," said Tuesday. "I take a firm grip on my work; I fasten Mercury's wings onto the merchant's boots, see that the wheels in the factory are oiled and turning, that the tailor sits at his table, and that the street paver is by his paving stones; each attends to his business, for I keep my eye on all. Accordingly, I am here in a police uniform and call myself Tuesday, a well-used day! If this is a bad joke, then you others try to think of a better one!"
"Ja, det er jeg!" sagde Tirsdag. "Jeg tager fat på arbejdet, spænder Merkurs vinger på købmandens støvler, ser til i fabrikkerne om hjulene er smurte og drejer sig, holder over at skrædderen sidder på bordet og brolæggeren på brostenene; hver passer sin dont! jeg holder øje med det hele, derfor møder jeg i politiuniform og kalder mig Politirsdag. Er det en dårlig brander, forsøg I andre at give en, der er bedre!"
"Then I come," said Wednesday. "I'm in the middle of the week. The Germans call me Herr Mittwoch. I stand like a journeyman in a store and like a flower in the midst of the other esteemed days of the week! If we all march up in order, then I have three days before me and three days behind; they are like an honor guard, so I should think that I am the most prominent day in the week!"
"Så kommer jeg!" sagde Onsdag. "Jeg står midt i ugen. Tysken kalder mig Hr. Mittwoch. Jeg står som svend i butikken, som blomst midt imellem de andre ærede ugedage! Marcherer vi alle op, så har jeg tre dage for, tre dage bag, det er som en æresvagt; jeg må tro, at jeg er den anseligste dag i ugen!"
Thursday appeared dressed as a coppersmith, with a hammer and a copper kettle, as a symbol of his noble descent.
Torsdag mødte klædt som kobbersmed med hammer og kobberkedel, det var hans adels attribut.
"I am of the highest birth," he said, "paganish, godlike! In the Northern countries I am named after Thor, and in the Southern countries after Jupiter, who both knew how to thunder and lighten, and that has remained in the family!"
"Jeg er af den højeste byrd!" sagde han, "hedensk, guddommelig! i Nordens lande er jeg kaldt op efter Tor, og i sydens lande efter Jupiter, som begge forstod at tordne og lyne; det er blevet i familien!"
And then he beat his copper kettle, thereby proving his high birth.
Og så slog han på kobberkedlen og beviste sin høje byrd.
Friday was dressed as a young girl, and called herself Freia, also Venus for a change, depending upon the language of the country in which she appeared. She was of a quiet, cheerful character, she said, but today she felt gay and free, for this was intercalary day, which, according to an old custom, gives a woman the right to dare propose to a man and not have to wait for him to propose to her.
Fredag var klædt ud som ung pige og kaldte sig Freja, også til en forandring Venus, det kom an på sprogbrugen i de lande hvor hun trådte op. Hun var i øvrigt af en stille, blid karakter, sagde hun, men i dag flot og fri; det var jo skuddag, og den giver frihed for kvinden, da tør hun, efter gammel brug, fri selv og behøver ikke at lade sig fri til.
Saturday appeared as an old housekeeper with a broom and other cleaning articles. Her favorite dish was beer soup, though at this festive occasion she did not request that it be served for everyone, only that she get it, and she got it.
Lørdag trådte op som gammel husholderske med kost og renselses-attribut. Hendes livret var øllebrød, dog forlangte hun ikke, at den ved denne festlige lejlighed skulle sættes med på bordet for dem alle, men kun at hun måtte få den, og hun fik den.
And so the days of the week had their party.
Og så bænkede ugedagene sig.
Here they are in print, all seven of them, ready for use as tableaux at family parties. There you can make them as funny as you wish; we give them here as a joke on February, the only month with an extra day.
Her er de nedtegnet alle syv, brugbare for tableauer i familiekredse; der kan de gives så morsomme, man mægter det, vi giver dem her kun som en spøg i februar, den eneste måned, der får en dag i tillæg.