Iss nix Fisch mit Messer

From the plains came a horse
With a cart attached
Inside sat, as it should be,
A gypsy man
Next to the gypsy sat
His wife, dog, and son
To the latter he lectured
In a sharp tone

Don’t eat fish with a knife
When you’ve got a fork
It looks way better
When you’re a guest of a classy dame

Don’t kiss a pretty lady
If she’s married
That doesn’t make good sense
Wherever you came from in the plains

When there’s heavy traffic on the street
That’s not good for you
You can’t just run back and forth
Or you’ll wear yourself out

Don’t wear a shirt until it’s gray
And shoes that show your toes
Don’t drink until your head’s spinning
Or else your dad
Will beat you with a stick

In the evening, dad went out
Freshly shaved and combed
Came home with a huge buzz
And a torn-up shirt
But his son Janosch said
It’s always like this
Instead of behaving well
He preaches morals.