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 donkey and the lapdog

There was once a man who had a donkey and a lapdog.

The donkey was housed in the stable with plenty of oats and hay to eat and was as well off as an donkey could be.

The little dog was made a great pet of by his master, who fondled him and often let him lie in his lap; and if he went out to dinner, he would bring back a titbit or two to give him when he ran to meet him on his return.

The donkey had, it is true, a good deal of work to do, carting or grinding the corn, or carrying the burdens of the farm: and before long he became very jealous, contrasting his own life of labour with the ease and idleness of the lap-dog.

At last one day he broke his halter, and frisking into the house just as his master sat down to dinner, he pranced and capered about, mimicking the frolics of the little favourite, upsetting the table and smashing the crockery with his clumsy efforts.

Not content with that, he even tried to jump onto his master's lap, as he had so often seen the dog do.

At that the servants, seeing the danger their master was in, belaboured the silly donkey with sticks, and drove him back to his stable half dead with his beating.

"Alas!" he cried, "all this I have brought on myself. Why could I not be satisfied with my natural and honourable position, without wishing to imitate the ridiculous antics of that useless little lapdog?"

Vocabulary:
Lapdog: Perro suficientemente pequeño para ser transportado en los brazos o acostarse cómodamente en el regazo de una persona
Housed: Alojado
Oats: Copos de avena
Hay: Heno
Fondled: Acariciaba
Titbit: Exquisitez, golosina
Good deal: Gran cantidad
Carting: Cargando
Grinding: Moliendo
Corn: Trigo
Burdens: Cargas, pesos
Before long: Dentro de poco
Ease: Facilidad
Idleness: Desocupación, haraganería
Halter: Ronzal, bozal abierto para dirigir o atar el ganado
Frisking: Jugueteando
Pranced: Brincó, hizo cabriolas (saltos que hacen los caballos dando patadas)
Capered: Corrió y brincó
Frolics: Jugueteos, retozos
Crockery: Loza, vajillas
Clumsy: Torpe
Efforts: Esfuerzos
Belaboured: Fustigaron
Alas!: ¡Ay!
Antics: Travesuras

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)