The wolf and the dog

A gaunt wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a house-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"

"I would have no objection," said the wolf, "if I could only get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with me to my master and you shall share my work."

So the wolf and the dog went towards the town together. On the way there the wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the dog. "That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the wolf. "Then good-bye to you, master dog."

Better starve free than be a fat slave.



Vocabulary:
Gaunt: Delgado, demacrado
Steadily: Regularmente, a un ritmo constante
Arrange: Arreglar, disponer
Towards: Hacia
Worn away: Desgastado (To wear away = Desgastar)
Come about: Suceder
Chafes: Roza (To chafe = rozar)

The frog and the ox

"Oh father," said a little frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."

"Tush, child, tush," said the old frog, "that was only farmer white's ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see."

So he blew himself up, and blew himself up, and blew himself up.

"Was he as big as that?" he asked.

"Oh, much bigger than that," said the young frog.

Again the old one blew himself up and asked the young one if the ox was as big as that.

"Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply.

So the frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled. And then he said, "I'm sure the ox is not as big as this." But at that moment he burst.

Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.

Vocabulary:
Frog: Rana
Pool: Charca
Horns: Cuernos
Tail: Cola
Hoofs: Pezuñas
Tush: Shh
Ox: Buey
Quite as: Tan
Broad: Ancho
Blew up: Infló (To blow something up)
Swelled: Increménto de tamaño (To swell)
Self-conceit: Vanidad, orgullo injustificado en sí mismo
Lead: Llevar (to lead)

The fox and the lamb

Once upon a time a wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he called out to the lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"

"Nay, master, nay," said lambikin; "if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me."

"Well, then," said the wolf, "why did you call me bad names this time last year?"

"That cannot be," said the lamb; "I am only six months old."

"I don't care," snarled the wolf; "if it was not you it was your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out:

"Any excuse will serve a tyrant."

Vocabulary:
Hillside: Ladera
Lamb: Oveja joven, cordero
Supper: Comida ligera o informal de la tarde
Seize: Apoderarse de, capturarlo
Muddle: Ensuciar
Nay: “No” en inglés antiguo
Muddy: Sucio
Runs down: Ven (To run down = Ir)
Snarled: Gruñó (To snarl)
Rushed: Abalanzó (To rush)
Gasped: Gritó ahogadamente (To gasp)