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I just read a wonderful article in the summer issue of Exploring, a magazine I get with my membership in San Francisco's Exploratorium. I thought Roger and Stuart in particular might find it interesting because it is about an invented language called Boontling.
Boontling is a modified form of English invented by the residents of Booneville, California in the nineteenth century. By the late 30's only a few old timers were still harpin Boont (speaking Boontling), but in recent years some people have taken an interest in trying to preserve and document the lingo.
ANYWAY, I thought you all might enjoy reading a very short story in Boontling:
"Eighth High Borps"
One bahl sunny dubs tweeds decided to have some fun. In the gormin' region was a keg of steinber, codgy and strong. They piked to the borp region and poured the steinber into a trough. Of course, the borps greedily gormed it all in a hurry.
They had never deeked on borps about an eighth high, so the fun began. The borps hopped into the air, rolled over, tried fence climbin', hobbin', and one fat old borp almost piked to the dusties. What a sight to deek on!
No harm done, just plenty hootin' by those tweeds. Their reals also deeked the commotion and gave them a dreekin' when they found the steinber was neemer.
It would be great fun if all of you would reply to this card with your attempt at a translation. It would be interesting to see how different Archipelagoans grapple with the same text.
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