If you don't sing Grandpa can't go to heaven

Der Werwolf (The Werewolf) by Christian Morgenstern

A fun lesson in Grammar. A reading of the poem on Youtube.

A werewolf one night departed from his wife and child and went to a village teacher’s grave and asked him: “Please decline me”!

The village schoolmaster climbed up on his iron plate’s brass knob and said to the wolf who patiently crossed his paws in front of the dead:

“Der Werwolf,” said the good man, “Des Weswolfs, this is genitive,” “Dem Wemwolf, this is called dative” “Den Wenwolf, – this is the end.”

The werewolf was flattered by the cases, he rolled his eyeballs. “However,” he begged, “please add to the singular the plural!”

The village schoolmaster had to confess that he knew nothing of it. Although wolves existed in great numbers, ‘who’ exists only in singular.

Adrian Ghenie

The Collector

Dada is Dead