37:2 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



When many persons are together, the way of sing- 

 ing them is as follows : one begins, and then the 

 others sing each a " Schnadahiipn" in succession ; but 

 each one ought either to be an answer to that which 

 preceded, or, from an allusion made to something in 

 the foregoing one, to spring as it were from it, and in 

 this way form a connection between the two. These 

 verses are very frequently extempore; and there are 

 some persons who for hours will continue thus sing- 

 ing against each other, till a succession of strophes 

 have arisen, each one separate and complete in itself, 

 yet, like beads on a string, forming part of a whole 

 and having reference to the rest. When such a trial 

 of skill has commenced, he who at last can think of 

 nothing more to say, and is consequently unable to 

 sing his Schnadahtipfl in reply, is heartily laughed at 

 by the rest, while shouts of applause reward the other 

 for his ability and wit. 



Such verse, being written in a dialect, it is almost 

 impossible to render in another language, and quite 

 so to do it justice. In the original the words are 

 often much abbreviated, and when read or sung, run 

 so much into one another that a line sounds but as 

 a single word*. I give however some specimens in 

 English, beginning with those that tell what are the 

 characteristics of a Schiiadahupfl. 



* For example : 



" A' Tanna is grea', 

 Is's Jahr aus u Jahr ei', 

 Und a' freudigi Lieb' 

 Muass a' bstandigi sey'." 



