Grimms' Fairy Tales — Page 9

English → Spanish Full Text Level 4/10

As they came to the castle, all was as the fox had said, and at twelve o'clock the young man met the princess going to the bath and gave her the kiss, and she agreed to run away with him, but begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father.

Cuando llegaron al castillo, todo era tal como el zorro había dicho, y a las doce en punto el joven se encontró con la princesa que iba al baño y le dio el beso, y ella aceptó huir con él, pero le suplicó entre muchas lágrimas que le permitiera despedirse de su padre.

At first he refused, but she wept still more and more, and fell at his feet, till at last he consented; but the moment she came to her father's house the guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again.

Al principio él se negó, pero ella lloró cada vez más y cayó a sus pies, hasta que por fin él consintió; pero en el momento en que ella llegó a la casa de su padre, los guardias despertaron y él fue hecho prisionero de nuevo.

Then he was brought before the king, and the king said, 'You shall never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window.'

Entonces fue llevado ante el rey, y el rey dijo: «Nunca tendrás a mi hija a menos que en ocho días caves y retires la colina que obstruye la vista desde mi ventana».

Now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away: and when he had worked for seven days, and had done very little, the fox came and said.

Pues bien, esta colina era tan grande que el mundo entero no podría retirarla: y cuando había trabajado durante siete días y había avanzado muy poco, el zorro vino y dijo.

'Lie down and go to sleep; I will work for you.'

«Túmbate y duérmete; yo trabajaré por ti».

And in the morning he awoke and the hill was gone; so he went merrily to the king, and told him that now that it was removed he must give him the princess.

Y por la mañana despertó y la colina había desaparecido; así que fue alegremente ante el rey y le dijo que ahora que había sido retirada debía entregarle a la princesa.

Then the king was obliged to keep his word, and away went the young man and the princess; and the fox came and said to him, 'We will have all three, the princess, the horse, and the bird.'

Entonces el rey se vio obligado a cumplir su palabra, y se marcharon el joven y la princesa; y el zorro vino y le dijo: «Los tendremos a los tres, la princesa, el caballo y el pájaro».

'Ah!

«¡Ah!

Vocabulary

Cuando: Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a time clause.
llegaron: They arrived; past tense of 'llegar'.
al: Contraction of 'a' and 'el', meaning 'to the'.
castillo: Castle; a large fortified medieval building.
todo: Everything or all; refers to the totality of something.
era: Was; imperfect past tense of 'ser' (to be).
tal: Such or just as; used for comparison or emphasis.
como: As or like; used to make comparisons.
el: The; masculine singular definite article.
zorro: Fox; a cunning wild animal with a bushy tail.
había: Had; imperfect form of 'haber', auxiliary verb.
dicho: Said; past participle of 'decir' (to say).
y: And; basic coordinating conjunction.
a: To or at; common Spanish preposition.
las: The; feminine plural definite article.
doce: Twelve; the number 12.
en: In or at; common Spanish preposition of place.
punto: Point or dot; 'en punto' means exactly on the hour.
joven: Young man or youth; a young person.
se: Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs.
encontró: Met or found; past tense of 'encontrar'.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
princesa: Princess; a female member of a royal family.
que: That or who; relative pronoun or conjunction.
iba: Was going; imperfect tense of 'ir' (to go).
baño: Bath or bathroom; a place or act of bathing.
le: Him/her; indirect object pronoun.
dio: Gave; preterite past tense of 'dar' (to give).
beso: Kiss; a touch with the lips as affection.
ella: She; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
aceptó: Accepted or agreed; past tense of 'aceptar'.
huir: To flee; to run away from a place or person.
él: He; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
pero: But; adversative conjunction contrasting two ideas.
suplicó: Begged or implored; past tense of 'suplicar'.
entre: Among or between; preposition indicating position.
muchas: Many; feminine plural form of 'mucho'.
lágrimas: Tears; drops of liquid shed when crying.
permitiera: Would allow; imperfect subjunctive of 'permitir'.
despedirse: To say goodbye; to take leave of someone.
de: Of or from; very common Spanish preposition.
su: His, her, or their; possessive adjective.
padre: Father; male parent.
Al: Contraction of 'a' and 'el', meaning 'to the'.
principio: Beginning; 'al principio' means at first.
negó: Refused or denied; past tense of 'negar'.
lloró: Cried or wept; past tense of 'llorar'.
cada: Each or every; used before singular nouns.
vez: Time or instance; 'cada vez más' means more and more.
más: More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree.
cayó: Fell; past tense of 'caer' (to fall).
sus: His, her, or their; plural possessive adjective.
pies: Feet; the lower extremities of the body.
hasta: Until or up to; preposition indicating a limit.
por: For or by; versatile Spanish preposition.
fin: End; 'por fin' means finally or at last.
consintió: Consented or agreed; past tense of 'consentir'.
momento: Moment; a brief or specific point in time.
llegó: Arrived; preterite past tense of 'llegar'.
casa: House or home; a place where people live.
los: The; masculine plural definite article.
guardias: Guards; people who watch over or protect a place.
despertaron: Woke up; past tense of 'despertar' (to wake).
fue: Was or went; preterite of 'ser' or 'ir'.
hecho: Made or done; past participle of 'hacer'.
prisionero: Prisoner; a person held captive or under arrest.
nuevo: New; 'de nuevo' means again or once more.
Entonces: Then or so; adverb indicating a subsequent event.
llevado: Taken or brought; past participle of 'llevar'.
ante: Before or in front of; preposition of position.
rey: King; the male monarch of a kingdom.
dijo: Said; preterite past tense of 'decir'.
Nunca: Never; adverb indicating something does not occur.
tendrás: You will have; future tense of 'tener'.
mi: My; first-person singular possessive adjective.
hija: Daughter; female child of a parent.
menos: Unless or less; used in conditions or comparisons.
ocho: Eight; the number 8.
días: Days; plural of 'día', units of time.
caves: You dig; present subjunctive of 'cavar' (to dig).
retires: You remove; present subjunctive of 'retirar'.
colina: Hill; a raised area of land, smaller than a mountain.
obstruye: Blocks or obstructs; third-person present of 'obstruir'.
vista: View or sight; the visual panorama from a place.
desde: From or since; preposition indicating origin or start.
ventana: Window; an opening in a wall to let in light.
Pues: Well or so; filler word or conjunction in speech.
bien: Well or good; adverb of manner or adjective.
esta: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
tan: So or as; adverb used in comparisons of equality.
grande: Big or large; adjective describing size.
mundo: World; the Earth or all of human society.
entero: Entire or whole; adjective meaning complete.
no: No or not; basic negation word in Spanish.
podría: Could; conditional tense of 'poder' (to be able).
retirarla: To remove it; infinitive 'retirar' with object pronoun.
cuando: When; conjunction introducing a time clause.
trabajado: Worked; past participle of 'trabajar' (to work).
durante: During or for; preposition indicating time span.
siete: Seven; the number 7.
avanzado: Advanced or progressed; past participle of 'avanzar'.
muy: Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs.
poco: Little or few; indicating a small amount.
vino: Came; preterite past tense of 'venir' (to come).
Túmbate: Lie down; imperative of 'tumbarse' (to lie down).
duérmete: Go to sleep; imperative reflexive of 'dormir'.
yo: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
trabajaré: I will work; future tense of 'trabajar'.
ti: You; second-person singular pronoun after prepositions.
Y: And; basic coordinating conjunction.
mañana: Tomorrow or morning; next day or early daytime.
despertó: Woke up; preterite past tense of 'despertar'.
desaparecido: Disappeared; past participle of 'desaparecer'.
así: Thus or so; adverb meaning in this way.
alegremente: Happily or cheerfully; adverb from 'alegre'.
ahora: Now; adverb referring to the present moment.
sido: Been; past participle of 'ser' (to be).
retirada: Removed or withdrawn; past participle of 'retirar'.
debía: Had to or owed; imperfect tense of 'deber'.
entregarle: To hand over to him; infinitive 'entregar' with pronoun.
vio: Saw; preterite past tense of 'ver' (to see).
obligado: Obliged or forced; past participle of 'obligar'.
cumplir: To fulfill or keep; to honor a promise or obligation.
palabra: Word or promise; a unit of language or a pledge.
marcharon: They left or marched off; past tense of 'marchar'.
Los: The; masculine plural definite article.
tendremos: We will have; future tense of 'tener' (to have).
tres: Three; the number 3.
caballo: Horse; a large domesticated mammal used for riding.
pájaro: Bird; a feathered winged animal.

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