Morgenmuffel
Morgenmuffel = grumpy person ,especially in the mornings.
Opa= grandpa
Danke=thank you
Mutti = Mummy
Kinder=children
''Morgenmuffel ! Morgenmuffel !''
The children chanted in unison as they skipped past the Morgen house on their way to school.
''Morgenmuffel ! Morgenmuffel !''
Elias Morgen never smiled. He glared at the children as the schoolgates swallowed them up one by one. He had grown used to their taunts over the years.What did it matter? He shrugged as he went back inside, fed Betty his canary, and slumped in the fireside chair. Warming his hands for a while, he opened up his newspaper. He always left the crossword until the end after reading it from cover to cover. It was the only highlight of his day. This morning as he opened it, emblazoned across each page in red felt-tipped pen was the word, Morgenmuffel. His newspaper was ruined again! Sighing, he donned his coat, cap and scarf, resigning himself to a stroll to the shop to buy another.
He couldn't remember when the name-calling and trickery had begun. At first it had bothered him a lot, but he had grown used to it over time, he just felt weary now with each long day stretching like an abyss before him. The children called him Morgenmuffel, because to them that is what he appeared to be, a bad-tempered grouch who wore a permanent frown and never passed the time of day with anyone. The name caught on quickly, even amongst some of the parents, especially since everyone knew his name was Morgen, so it was an apt fit.
Elias lived at number 22, Schulstrasse, so called because of the big school at the end of the road. It was a wide, tree-lined street, surprisingly speckless considering the traffic of children up and down all day long. Elias' red-brick house was a typical German house with pointed eaves, not very different to any of the others really, except that it had the best garden on the street and a beautiful timbered porch. He liked to sit on the small porch in summer when the heady scent of the blooms infused the balmy evening air. Elias had built the porch himself for just that purpose, lovingly crafting it from mellow timber. Annika, his wife, would sit in the old armchair, listening to music and watching him work, their comfortable silence interspersed with a few words between them every now and again. That seemed like a lifetime ago, another world when each new morning began with Annika singing in the cosy kitchen as she fried their breakfast sausages and tomatoes. Sometimes, when he awoke early, in the half light of dawn, he fancied he could hear her lilting strain from the kitchen and the muffled whistle of the kettle on the stove. There were even times when he was sure he could smell the sausages sizzling.Then he would creep downstairs to the kitchen, heart racing, only to find it in darkness with a couple of fading embers in the fireplace. Elias would feel cheated all over again. Why had she been taken from him? Why was he being tormented by her voice and sounds, if he could not be with her ? They had only ever been blessed with children once. Oh, they had tried again in the early years, but it wasn't to be. They had called her Anna before they had bid her farewell. As time went on, it was clear that there would be no other children..They had each other ; that had been enough then. Now though, it would have been nice to sit a grandchild on his knee by the fire and hear them call him Opa,.
Elias was deep in thought when suddenly he was jolted back to reality by a screech of brakes and a loud cry in the wind. Looking around, he couldn't see anyone at first, then he saw her, a patch of red in the bushes, sitting on the kerb crying softly was a little girl of around 6 years old. The driver of the car rushed over, distraught, babbling,
''I never saw her, she just ran out in front of me!''.
Elias crouched down and lifted the girl's chin,.Her tear-filled eyes gazed at him in fear. Elias saw that she had not been hit by the car, she was just frightened. However, she had a nasty graze on her knee where she had jumped onto the pavement and was visibly shaken. After calming the driver and reassuring him that all was well, Elias put out his hand and said in a slightly gruff, but kind voice,
'' Come on now, a brave girl like you, escaping from that crazy car is certainly not going to be scared of an old grandpa like me!?''
The little girl shook her head, her eyes relaxed as Elias lifted her in his brawny old arms and turned to walk back to his house. He could feel her shivering, she was still a little shaken by her adventure. Placing her in the armchair by the fire, he put Annika's old, blue, knitted shawl around her.
Going to the fridge,Elias said,''I bet you like sausages as much as me, yes ?''. She nodded ,''I thought as much, you seem like a very smart girl. Only smart people eat sausages, you know ! So may I ask the name of this smart sausage eater?''
''Anna'', a tiny voice replied hesitantly.
Elias felt a sharp tug at his heart.
''Well, Anna'', he said a little too cheerily, ''Here are the two magic sausages, they will make everything better, you will see, and here is a nice warm cup of tea with sugar, drink it all up like a good girl.''
After a silent ,but companiable meal, Anna's eyes grew weary and Elias, covering her with a blanket let her sleep for a while. Checking her little schoolbag, he found her name, Anna Hahn, along with her address and phone number. Her mother was audibly concerned, but Elias insisted that she was perfectly fine, just a grazed knee, and was sleeping,suggesting she pop by in an hour to pick her up.
When she awoke yawning and rubbing her eyes, Anna was surprised to see her Mutti sitting with Elias, drinking coffee and laughing. On the table were some old photographs, some of a very pretty young woman and one of a tiny baby. Anna picked it up, touching the face gently, looking into Elias' eyes, she knew, her little hand reached for his ,squeezing it gently. When they said goodbye and Elias had been repeatedly thanked, he realised with a laugh that it was after two, and he had never got his newspaper, his step was lighter as he walked to the shops and the day seemed a little brighter.
The next morning, Elias went onto the porch to retrieve his paper ,something was strange, different, what was it?
He looked at the street, the children were on their way to school, but where was their morning call ?
As he walked to the gate, they turned to him and waved, but this morning they called out, '' Morgen Opa ! Morgen Opa !''
Elias waved back shouting, ''Morgen Kinder!''
Elias saw Anna by the gate, she stretched out to give him an envelope, inside was a hand-made card with a big smiley sun painted on the front and the words, ''Danke Opa'' scrawled in childish letters.
It was the best card he had ever received
Whistling, Elias went back to his kitchen with his lovely clean newspaper
''I think three sausages this morning, what do you say Betty!?''
Opa= grandpa
Danke=thank you
Mutti = Mummy
Kinder=children
''Morgenmuffel ! Morgenmuffel !''
The children chanted in unison as they skipped past the Morgen house on their way to school.
''Morgenmuffel ! Morgenmuffel !''
Elias Morgen never smiled. He glared at the children as the schoolgates swallowed them up one by one. He had grown used to their taunts over the years.What did it matter? He shrugged as he went back inside, fed Betty his canary, and slumped in the fireside chair. Warming his hands for a while, he opened up his newspaper. He always left the crossword until the end after reading it from cover to cover. It was the only highlight of his day. This morning as he opened it, emblazoned across each page in red felt-tipped pen was the word, Morgenmuffel. His newspaper was ruined again! Sighing, he donned his coat, cap and scarf, resigning himself to a stroll to the shop to buy another.
He couldn't remember when the name-calling and trickery had begun. At first it had bothered him a lot, but he had grown used to it over time, he just felt weary now with each long day stretching like an abyss before him. The children called him Morgenmuffel, because to them that is what he appeared to be, a bad-tempered grouch who wore a permanent frown and never passed the time of day with anyone. The name caught on quickly, even amongst some of the parents, especially since everyone knew his name was Morgen, so it was an apt fit.
Elias lived at number 22, Schulstrasse, so called because of the big school at the end of the road. It was a wide, tree-lined street, surprisingly speckless considering the traffic of children up and down all day long. Elias' red-brick house was a typical German house with pointed eaves, not very different to any of the others really, except that it had the best garden on the street and a beautiful timbered porch. He liked to sit on the small porch in summer when the heady scent of the blooms infused the balmy evening air. Elias had built the porch himself for just that purpose, lovingly crafting it from mellow timber. Annika, his wife, would sit in the old armchair, listening to music and watching him work, their comfortable silence interspersed with a few words between them every now and again. That seemed like a lifetime ago, another world when each new morning began with Annika singing in the cosy kitchen as she fried their breakfast sausages and tomatoes. Sometimes, when he awoke early, in the half light of dawn, he fancied he could hear her lilting strain from the kitchen and the muffled whistle of the kettle on the stove. There were even times when he was sure he could smell the sausages sizzling.Then he would creep downstairs to the kitchen, heart racing, only to find it in darkness with a couple of fading embers in the fireplace. Elias would feel cheated all over again. Why had she been taken from him? Why was he being tormented by her voice and sounds, if he could not be with her ? They had only ever been blessed with children once. Oh, they had tried again in the early years, but it wasn't to be. They had called her Anna before they had bid her farewell. As time went on, it was clear that there would be no other children..They had each other ; that had been enough then. Now though, it would have been nice to sit a grandchild on his knee by the fire and hear them call him Opa,.
Elias was deep in thought when suddenly he was jolted back to reality by a screech of brakes and a loud cry in the wind. Looking around, he couldn't see anyone at first, then he saw her, a patch of red in the bushes, sitting on the kerb crying softly was a little girl of around 6 years old. The driver of the car rushed over, distraught, babbling,
''I never saw her, she just ran out in front of me!''.
Elias crouched down and lifted the girl's chin,.Her tear-filled eyes gazed at him in fear. Elias saw that she had not been hit by the car, she was just frightened. However, she had a nasty graze on her knee where she had jumped onto the pavement and was visibly shaken. After calming the driver and reassuring him that all was well, Elias put out his hand and said in a slightly gruff, but kind voice,
'' Come on now, a brave girl like you, escaping from that crazy car is certainly not going to be scared of an old grandpa like me!?''
The little girl shook her head, her eyes relaxed as Elias lifted her in his brawny old arms and turned to walk back to his house. He could feel her shivering, she was still a little shaken by her adventure. Placing her in the armchair by the fire, he put Annika's old, blue, knitted shawl around her.
Going to the fridge,Elias said,''I bet you like sausages as much as me, yes ?''. She nodded ,''I thought as much, you seem like a very smart girl. Only smart people eat sausages, you know ! So may I ask the name of this smart sausage eater?''
''Anna'', a tiny voice replied hesitantly.
Elias felt a sharp tug at his heart.
''Well, Anna'', he said a little too cheerily, ''Here are the two magic sausages, they will make everything better, you will see, and here is a nice warm cup of tea with sugar, drink it all up like a good girl.''
After a silent ,but companiable meal, Anna's eyes grew weary and Elias, covering her with a blanket let her sleep for a while. Checking her little schoolbag, he found her name, Anna Hahn, along with her address and phone number. Her mother was audibly concerned, but Elias insisted that she was perfectly fine, just a grazed knee, and was sleeping,suggesting she pop by in an hour to pick her up.
When she awoke yawning and rubbing her eyes, Anna was surprised to see her Mutti sitting with Elias, drinking coffee and laughing. On the table were some old photographs, some of a very pretty young woman and one of a tiny baby. Anna picked it up, touching the face gently, looking into Elias' eyes, she knew, her little hand reached for his ,squeezing it gently. When they said goodbye and Elias had been repeatedly thanked, he realised with a laugh that it was after two, and he had never got his newspaper, his step was lighter as he walked to the shops and the day seemed a little brighter.
The next morning, Elias went onto the porch to retrieve his paper ,something was strange, different, what was it?
He looked at the street, the children were on their way to school, but where was their morning call ?
As he walked to the gate, they turned to him and waved, but this morning they called out, '' Morgen Opa ! Morgen Opa !''
Elias waved back shouting, ''Morgen Kinder!''
Elias saw Anna by the gate, she stretched out to give him an envelope, inside was a hand-made card with a big smiley sun painted on the front and the words, ''Danke Opa'' scrawled in childish letters.
It was the best card he had ever received
Whistling, Elias went back to his kitchen with his lovely clean newspaper
''I think three sausages this morning, what do you say Betty!?''