English Original
Once seven Swabians were together: Herr Schulz, Jackli, Marli, Jergli, Michal, Hans, and Veitli. They decided to travel the world seeking adventure and performing great deeds. For safety, they had a single, very long spear made. All seven held it, with the bravest, Herr Schulz, in front and Veitli at the rear.
One July evening, as they crossed a meadow, a large beetle or hornet buzzed threateningly from a bush. Herr Schulz was terrified. "Listen!" he shouted. "Good heaven, I hear a drum!" Jackli, behind him, said, "I can smell powder and fuses!" Hearing this, Herr Schulz ran and jumped over a fence, landing on a rake. The handle struck his face. "Oh dear!" he screamed. "Take me prisoner! I surrender!"
The other six jumped after him, each crying, "If you surrender, I surrender too!" But there was no enemy to capture them. Realizing their mistake, they swore to keep the story secret to avoid ridicule, then traveled onward.
Their second adventure was even more absurd. Days later, they saw a hare sleeping in a field, its ears up and eyes open. Terrified of this "wild beast," they feared running would cause it to chase and devour them. "We must fight a great battle," they declared. "Well begun is half done!"
Again, they took up the spear. Herr Schulz tried to hold back, while Veitli at the rear grew bold and shouted:
Strike out, in every Swabian's name,
Or else I wish that you be lame.
Hans retorted:
Thunder and lightning, you're one to brag,
But at dragon hunting you always lag.
Michal cried, "The devil himself is there!" Jergli added, "If not him, it's his mother or the devil's stepbrother." Marli urged Veitli forward, but Veitli refused. Jackli said, "Let Herr Schulz be number one. That's an honor he has won." Finally, Herr Schulz took courage: "Boldly then, we go to war. Then all will know how brave we are."
They attacked the "dragon." Herr Schulz crossed himself and prayed, but as he neared the enemy, he screamed in fear, "Oh, oh, oh, oh!" This awakened the hare, which darted swiftly away. Seeing it flee, Herr Schulz shouted joyfully, "Quick, Veitli, look there! The monster is a hare!"
The band of Swabians then continued their journey in search of further adventure.
中文翻译
从前，七个施瓦本人聚在一起：赫尔·舒尔茨、杰克利、马利、杰格利、米哈尔、汉斯和维特利。他们决定周游世界，寻求冒险，成就伟业。为了安全，他们打造了一根又长又结实的矛。七个人一起握着它，最勇敢的赫尔·舒尔茨在前，维特利殿后。
七月的一个傍晚，他们穿过一片草地时，一只大甲虫或大黄蜂从灌木丛后嗡嗡地威胁着飞过。赫尔·舒尔茨吓坏了。“听！”他喊道。“天哪，我听到鼓声了！”他身后的杰克利说：“我闻到火药和导火索的味道了！”听到这话，赫尔·舒尔茨拔腿就跑，跳过一道篱笆，正好落在一把耙子上。耙柄重重地打在他脸上。“哎呀！”他尖叫起来。“抓我做俘虏吧！我投降！我投降！”
另外六个人一个接一个地跳到他身边，都喊着：“如果你投降，我也投降！”但根本没有敌人来俘虏他们。意识到闹了笑话后，他们发誓对此事保密，以免遭人嘲笑，然后继续上路。
他们的第二次冒险更加荒唐。几天后，他们看到一只野兔在田里晒太阳睡觉，耳朵竖着，玻璃球似的大眼睛睁着。他们被这只“可怕的野兽”吓坏了，担心逃跑会引得它追上来把他们连皮带毛都吃掉。“我们必须打一场大仗，”他们宣称。“好的开始是成功的一半！”
他们再次拿起长矛。赫尔·舒尔茨总想往后缩，而殿后的维特利却变得勇敢起来，喊道：
以每个施瓦本人的名义出击，
否则我愿你变成瘸子。
汉斯回敬道：
电闪雷鸣，你真会吹牛，
可猎龙时你总是落后。
米哈尔喊道：“魔鬼本尊就在那儿！”杰格利接着说：“如果不是他，那就是他母亲，或者是魔鬼的继兄弟。”马利催促维特利打头阵，但维特利不听。杰克利说：“让赫尔·舒尔茨当第一吧，这是他赢得的荣誉。”最后，赫尔·舒尔茨鼓起勇气说：“那么，勇敢地去战斗吧。让所有人都知道我们有多勇敢。”
他们向“巨龙”发起了进攻。赫尔·舒尔茨画着十字祈祷，但当他接近“敌人”时，他惊恐地尖叫起来：“哦，哦，哦，哦！”这吵醒了野兔，受惊的兔子飞快地逃走了。看到它逃离战场，赫尔·舒尔茨高兴地喊道：“快，维特利，看那儿！那怪物是只野兔！”
这群施瓦本人于是继续旅程，去寻找更多的冒险。