A Ballard Shaggy Dog Story

By Jack Brummet, Ballard and Nordic Heritage Editor




As you may or may not know, the now trendy hipster neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle was, and to some extent still is, a Norwegian-Swedish-Danish stronghold.  Stan Boreson and others have often told "Scandahoovian" stories and jokes.  This is one:

Ole is the Pastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church and Pastor Sven is the minister of the Swedish Covenant Church across the road.

One day they are seen pounding a sign into the ground, which said:

     DA END ISS NEAR!
   TURN YERSELF AROUNT NOW
   BAFOR IT ISS TOO LATE!

As a car speeds past them, the driver leans out his window and yells, “Leave people alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!”

From the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash. Shakin’ his head, Rev. Ole says “Dat’s da terd one dis mornin’.”

“Yaa,” Pastor Sven agrees, then asks, “Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say, ‘Bridge Out?’”

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