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

Choral chant for Tupac Amaru, What is freedom

They will blow him with dynamite.
As one mass, they will carry him, they will drag him.
As they beat him, will fill his mouth with gunpowder.
They will blow him up:
And they won't be able to kill him!

They will place him upside down.
Will take away his desires, his teeth and his cries.
They will kick him with all fury.
Then, they will have him bleeding:
And they will not be able to kill him!

They will crown his head with blood,
his cheekbones, with beatings. And his ribs with nails.
They will make him bite the ground.
They will beat him:
And they won't be able to kill him!

They will pull out his dreams and eyes.
They will want to massacre him cry after cry.
They will spit on him. Attempting to murder him,
They will crucify him.
And they won't be able to kill him!

They will bring him to the centre of the square,
his face up looking to the infinity.
They will tight his arms and legs up.
they will pull them apart:
And they will not be able to kill him!

They will want to blow him apart and they won't be able to blow him apart.
They will want to tear him up and they they won't be able to tear him up.
They will want to kill him and they won't be able to kill him.

They will want to dismember him, crush him,
stain him, step on him, take his soul away.

They will want to blow him apart and they won't be able to blow him apart.
They will want to tear him up and they they won't be able to tear him up.
They will want to kill him and they won't be able to kill him.

At the third day of his suffering,
when everything is believed to be consummated,
shouting: Freedom! At the ground,
he shall come back:
And they won't be able to kill him!

Carry: Cargar
Drag: Arrastrar
Gunpowder: Pólvora
Place him upside down: Colocarlo boca abajo
Take away: Quitar, llevarse
Cries: Gritos
Crown: Coronar
Cheekbones: Pómulos
Pull out: Retirar
Spit: Escupir
Attempting: Intentando (To attempt= Intentar)
Dismember: Desmembrar
Crush: Aplastar
Stain: Manchar
Tear up: Romper, hacer pedazos