AT THE WITCHES' SABBATH LOCATION
NARRATOR:
For centuries people have been celebrating Walpurgisnacht, the Witches' Sabbath. This dance-into-May, as the night is also called, is often a witches’ celebration with people dressing up and dancing. They did so yesterday, on April 30th. They all danced and had a good time. All except Harry. He went to bed in a bad mood, and when he woke up the next morning, he found himself in a time warp. He is having to experience the same day over and over again – Wednesday April 31st! Harry has a theory:
HARRY:
Julia is to blame.
NARRATOR:
He's accusing his girlfriend Julia of having put a spell on him.
HARRY:
Ja.
NARRATOR:
So right now he's looking for evidence at the place where they had the party.
HARRY:
Here! It was here!
NARRATOR:
Es war hier. It's about time you learned the past tense. war is the past tense of sein, to be: ich war, du warst, er/sie/es war, wir waren, ihr wart, sie waren.
HARRY:
Es war hier. Julia und die Hexen war hier.
NARRATOR:
No, no!
HARRY:
Oh yeah, okay, of course, plural. Okay: Julia und die Hexen waren hier. They put a spell on me.
NARRATOR:
There you see, you can do it! Are you trying to read the future in the ashes of the fire, or why are you poking in the fire with a stick?
HARRY:
No, no, no, no! Schau da! There's something!
NARRATOR:
Ein Foto? A fairly burned-up photo – it's actually still glowing a bit.
HARRY:
Ow!
NARRATOR:
In German, that's aua.
HARRY:
That's me! The photo was in Julia's handbag. And now it's in the witches' fire! Do you remember the incantations?
NARRATOR:
Zaubersprüche?
HARRY:
Yes, the incantations of those women in the colorful dresses with whom Julia was getting on so well. They were singing the curse together.
WOMEN/WITCHES:
'Du musst versteh'n!
Aus Eins mach Zehn,
Und Zwei lass geh'n,
Und Drei mach gleich,
So bist du reich.
Verlier die Vier!
Aus Fünf und Sechs,
So sagt die Hex',
Mach Sieben und Acht,
So ist's vollbracht:
Und Neun ist Eins,
Und Zehn ist keins,
Das ist das Hexeneinmaleins!'
NARRATOR:
Oh, you mean the witches' counting song:
'Und Neun ist Eins,
Und Zehn ist keins,
Das ist das Hexeneinmaleins!'
Harry, that's not a curse, that's ...
HARRY:
I know, it's Goethe. Literatur or so you say! I say it's witchcraft! And it's these witches who were doing it.
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Ich war heute Morgen hundemüde.
WOMAN 2:
Ich war heute Morgen auch hundemüde.
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Ich habe zuerst einen Kaffee gemacht.
WOMAN 2:
Ja, ich auch.
HARRY:
Those are the women who were here yesterday evening!
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Das Fest war schön!
WOMAN 2:
Ja.
NARRATOR:
Unlike you she says, it was a great party.
WOMAN 2:
Ich hatte so viel Spaß!
NARRATOR:
Spaß means fun. And hatte is the past tense of haben, to have: ich hatte, du hattest, er/sie/es hatte, wir hatten, ihr hattet, sie hatten.
WOMAN 2:
Es war so schön gestern …
HARRY:
They must know where Julia is! Hey! Hallo! Entschuldigung!
NARRATOR:
Don't do anything stupid, Harry.
HARRY:
Guten Tag!
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Guten Tag! Waren Sie gestern auch auf dem Fest?
HARRY:
As if you didn't know: Ja, ich war da.
WOMAN 2:
Haben Sie getanzt?
HARRY:
Bitte?
WOMAN 2:
Haben Sie auch getanzt? Ich habe getanzt.
NARRATOR:
I danced, the past tense of tanzen, to dance: tanzen – ich habe getanzt, machen – ich habe gemacht.
HARRY:
Nein, ich habe nicht getanzt! I want to know what you've done with Julia.
WOMEN:
Julia?
HARRY:
Was haben Sie gemacht?
NARRATOR:
Well done. You’re good at German when you're angry! In the past tense, the real verb is at the end of the sentence!!
WOMEN:
Julia?
HARRY:
For the last time: Was haben Sie mit Julia gemacht?
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Wer ist Julia?
HARRY:
Julia ist meine Freundin.
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Ah Julia! Na klar! Julia war gestern Abend hier.
WOMAN 2:
Dann sind Sie Harry?
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Du hast recht. Er muss Harry sein!
NARRATOR:
They know you, Harry! They saw you and Julia yesterday.
HARRY:
Of course they know me. They've put a spell on me, haven't they! Wo ist Julia?
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Julia ist weg? Toll! Sie hat es gemacht!
WOMEN:
Sie hat es gemacht! Sie hat es gemacht! Sie hat es gemacht!
HARRY:
Shut up! What are they talking about?
NARRATOR:
They're talking about you and Julia. They're saying: Toll! Sie hat es gemacht! Great! She did it!
HARRY:
I knew it: I've been bewitched. Reden Sie!
NARRATOR:
Harry, behave yourself!
HARRY:
Wo ist Julia?
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
So, Herr Walkott, Sie waren nicht nett zu Julia!
WOMAN 2:
Ja, genau!
HARRY:
I haven't been nice to her?
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Sie haben sich nicht um Julia gekümmert.
NARRATOR:
That's it, you haven't been looking after your girlfriend.
HARRY:
What?
WOMAN 2:
Komm, Sabine!
WOMAN 1/DR. WOHLFAHRT:
Auf Wiedersehen!
HARRY:
They're trying to give me a hard time! Ja, auf Wiedersehen! Schönen Tag noch! I'll be seeing you!
NARRATOR:
You want to see them again?
HARRY:
Yes, that one with the green glasses. She's bound to be the chief witch. She knows more than she's saying.
NARRATOR:
Harry, do whatever you have to!
HARRY:
But just tell me this: How am I supposed to be nicer to Julia if she isn't even here?