The following is my translation of an article called: 'Wühlmanns Liebe, eine Maulwurfs-, Erd- und Liebesgeschichte' von E. Freiherr v. Kopherr. It appeared in a German popular science magazine, Kosmos Handweiser für Naturfreunde 1910, Heft 1, Seiten 28-29. I'm not aware of any previous translation.
Some animals have odd sounding nicknames in German. For example, in honour of its vaguely spoon-like ears a hare is sometimes called Löffelmann (Spoon man). Although more the stuff of stories for kids the author, realising many are young at heart, happily allows such nicknames out to play in this article.
Trevor Dykes.

Rummage Man's love, a mole-, earth- and love story by E. Freiherr v. Kopherr
It's mining time. The water gloops and murmurs, splashes and gurgles, the rivers are rushing and damming. The dove coos, the ducks quack in the pond and the toad calls from the reed. And Sharp Foot, the buzzard, circles above the surfaces, over fir trees and valley, whistles and -plays with its treasure. Hop, hop. Spoon Man, the hare, chases his darling through bush and fold. The Vine thrush hammers and sings in on the briar, the Black cock bumbles and hisses on the heathy meadow and scuffles and dances and springs. And the finch flutters with its dearest, and the wagtail bounces on the bank, tits swarm in the branches and the lark sings.

Deep below in its castle, in its many branched tunnels, in the burrow and corners, rummages Rummage Man, the mole. Fat worm and tender maggot, cricket and thick cock chaffer grub he feels, he finds, he eats. Today, however -and he knows not what that is- something calls and crawls in his blood. Nothing tastes right.

And he rummages and rummages further through his main tunnel. He digs it further and further into the meadow.

But listen - there it rumbles and tumbles, and he scratches in the side of the tunnel, and he rummages and digs.

And suddenly, the burrow has a hole...

Oh! How Rummage Man hates the others! Angrily, he hurries through it: then -there is Lint Man, the neighbour.

But Lint Man wants the right of way as well, -and he is a strong and brave character and, as he also hates his own kind, he charges towards his opponent.

And there is a battle, a struggle of life and death, and the opponents squeak and cheep from pain and fury. Rummage Man is already bleeding, and Rummage Man has already taken a bite in his left shovel -but neither wants to give way, neither clears the field. And the struggle goes on -bite for bite. Angrily, the pair tear into each other, the sharp teeth go cruelly to work.

Finally, Rummage Man manages to land a stab on the tender nose of its old enemy. And he tears -and bites into the trunk of poor Lint Man so that the blood drips. The sharp teeth slice wound after wound -and with pitiful squeaks Lint Man turns to flee, followed by the embittered opponent.

He should have left him cold, that other -and then- eat. But today he has no appetite. Rummage Man digs and rummages and forces and shovels further. He scratches and scratches. But not a fat worm and not a juicy chaffer can tempt him today. -He must have something different.

He digs and digs, and again there is a rumble, and again the tunnel has a hole. Yet again the old mole is burning with anger against his opponent -then he is suddenly hit by a scent -so attractive and tempting... It was not the enemy, not a neighbouring male -that there is- female! He is now all cavalier, the old Rummage Man. A crude, clumsy cavalier -but a cavalier.

He storms towards the female, he pushes her, pressures her and presses her. But she is unsure, the beautiful Rummagess. He tears and pulls her, and grabs her with his teeth, impatiently, rough and raw. And he pulls and he barges until the bride is in his own tunnels, and he pushes and pressures her further and further into the trap-

She surrenders in there -he is the stronger. Besides, she actually wants...

His brutality is not objectionable to her. He is strong and courageous -and such a man is what Rummagess wished for, the female mole.

Rummage Man digs and digs. He produces new tunnels -straight into the meadow. Cul de sacs and dead ends. And when he is ready with that, he wants a wedding...

But then it rumbles in the burrow, there is crawling and motion -outside at the main entrance. Rummage Man knows who is coming. It is him again, "another", an enemy, a neighbouring male. Rummage Man is cooking with rage. He hurriedly grabs his bride and takes her to a dead end -and pushes her inside. And then he digs and thoroughly plugs it, until the burrow behind her is blocked. So, now it can start...

And start it does; then Velvet Man it is, who is running along the tunnel, angry, ready to fight, eager to take the bride from the house owner, courageous and strong. And again the battle rages, and again the heroes are bleeding and squeaking and cheeping.

Again Rummage Man wins. And he digs out his darling and celebrates the wedding. Rummagess, however, is unconcerned about who her husband is -a mole is a mole. But she wanted a strong man -and she has one now. Then Rummage Man is brave, and Rummage Man is strong and a fiery lover. -Not gentle and gallant -but strong, very strong.

And soon there are small Rummage People in the burrow. And the parents feed them well. -And then they separate -they no longer need each other, they do not love each other any more. -But perhaps next year again?

Yes -but who can know that? Firstly, Sharp Foot is waiting, the buzzard, as he watches the meadow and circles above the land, and Reineke (the fox) is patrolling his territory. And then: if next time Rummage Man or Velvet Man should be the stronger? -Yes, who can know that!

An index of more of my translations of old Kosmos articles can be found at:

Kosmos Translations Archive

A number of Mesozoic (and post-Mesozoic) location summaries can be found at Localities.