Grimms' Fairy Tales — Page 3

English → It Full Text Level 4/10

As the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it.

Quando l'orologio batté le dodici, egli udì un fruscio nell'aria, e un uccello venne volando che era di puro oro; e mentre stava becchettando una delle mele con il suo becco, il figlio del giardiniere balzò in piedi e gli scoccò una freccia.

But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away.

Ma la freccia non fece alcun male all'uccello; soltanto gli fece cadere una piuma d'oro dalla coda, e poi volò via.

The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and all the council was called together.

La piuma d'oro fu portata al re la mattina, e tutto il consiglio fu convocato.

Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, 'One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.'

Tutti concordarono che valeva più di tutta la ricchezza del regno: ma il re disse: «Una sola piuma non mi serve a nulla, devo avere l'intero uccello».

Then the gardener's eldest son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it.

Allora il figlio maggiore del giardiniere partì e pensò di trovare l'uccello d'oro molto facilmente; e quando aveva percorso solo un breve tratto di strada, giunse a un bosco, e ai margini del bosco vide una volpe seduta; così prese il suo arco e si preparò a spararle.

Then the fox said, 'Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird.

Allora la volpe disse: «Non spararmi, poiché ti darò un buon consiglio; so qual è il tuo scopo, e che vuoi trovare l'uccello d'oro.

Vocabulary

Quando: KWAHN-doh — Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a time clause.
l: l — Truncated form of the definite article 'lo' or 'la'.
orologio: oh-roh-LOH-joh — A clock or watch used to tell time.
batté: baht-TEH — Past tense of 'battere'; struck or chimed.
le: leh — Feminine plural definite article or indirect pronoun 'to her'.
dodici: DOH-dee-chee — The number twelve.
egli: EH-lyee — Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
udì: oo-DEE — Past tense of 'udire'; heard a sound.
un: oon — Masculine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
fruscio: froo-SHOH — A soft rustling or swishing sound.
nell: nell — Contraction of 'in' and 'la/lo' meaning 'in the'.
aria: AH-ryah — Air; also atmosphere or demeanor in Italian.
e: eh — Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
uccello: oo-CHEL-loh — A bird, any feathered flying animal.
venne: VEN-neh — Past tense of 'venire'; came or arrived.
volando: voh-LAHN-doh — Gerund of 'volare'; flying through the air.
che: keh — Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'.
era: EH-rah — Past tense of 'essere'; was, indicating a past state.
di: dee — Preposition meaning 'of', indicating possession or material.
puro: POO-roh — Adjective meaning pure, unmixed, or unadulterated.
oro: OH-roh — The precious metal gold.
mentre: MEN-treh — Conjunction meaning 'while', indicating simultaneous actions.
stava: STAH-vah — Imperfect of 'stare'; was in the act of doing.
una: OO-nah — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
delle: DEL-leh — Contraction of 'di le'; of the (feminine plural).
mele: MEH-leh — Plural of 'mela'; apples, the common fruit.
con: kohn — Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment or means.
il: eel — Masculine singular definite article meaning 'the'.
suo: SOO-oh — Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
becco: BEK-koh — The beak or bill of a bird.
figlio: FEE-lyoh — Son; a male child in relation to parents.
del: del — Contraction of 'di il'; of the (masculine singular).
giardiniere: jar-dee-NYEH-reh — A gardener; person who tends a garden professionally.
balzò: bal-TSOH — Past tense of 'balzare'; leaped or jumped up suddenly.
in: een — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into', indicating location.
piedi: PYEH-dee — Plural of 'piede'; feet, the lower extremities of legs.
gli: lyee — Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him' or masculine plural article.
freccia: FRECH-chah — An arrow shot from a bow.
Ma: mah — Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting clause.
la: lah — Feminine singular definite article or direct object pronoun 'her/it'.
non: nohn — Adverb of negation meaning 'not'.
fece: FEH-cheh — Past tense of 'fare'; did or made something.
alcun: al-KOON — Adjective meaning 'any' or 'no', used in negation.
male: MAH-leh — Harm or evil; something bad or injurious.
all: all — Truncated contraction of 'alla', meaning 'to the' (feminine).
soltanto: sol-TAHN-toh — Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just', limiting a statement.
cadere: kah-DEH-reh — Infinitive meaning to fall or drop down.
piuma: PYOO-mah — A feather from a bird's plumage.
d: d — Truncated preposition 'di' before a vowel, meaning 'of'.
dalla: DAHL-lah — Contraction of 'da la'; from the (feminine singular).
coda: KOH-dah — A tail; the rear appendage of an animal.
poi: poy — Adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterwards', indicating sequence.
volò: voh-LOH — Past tense of 'volare'; flew away through the air.
via: VEE-ah — Away; also a street or road in Italian.
La: lah — Feminine definite article 'the' or direct object pronoun.
fu: foo — Past tense of 'essere'; was, a completed past state.
portata: por-TAH-tah — Past participle of 'portare'; brought or carried somewhere.
al: ahl — Contraction of 'a il'; to the (masculine singular).
re: reh — A king; the male monarch of a kingdom.
mattina: maht-TEE-nah — Morning; the early part of the day.
tutto: TOOT-toh — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everything'.
consiglio: kon-SEE-lyoh — A council or piece of advice given to someone.
convocato: kon-voh-KAH-toh — Past participle of 'convocare'; summoned or called together.
Tutti: TOOT-tee — Plural of 'tutto'; everyone or all people present.
concordarono: kon-kor-DAH-roh-noh — Past tense of 'concordare'; agreed or were in accord.
valeva: vah-LEH-vah — Imperfect of 'valere'; was worth a certain value.
più: pyoo — Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most', used in comparisons.
tutta: TOOT-tah — Feminine form of 'tutto'; all or the entire thing.
ricchezza: reek-KET-tsah — Wealth or richness; abundance of valuable possessions.
regno: REH-nyoh — A kingdom; the territory ruled by a monarch.
ma: mah — Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting idea.
disse: DEES-seh — Past tense of 'dire'; said or spoke words.
Una: OO-nah — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
sola: SOH-lah — Feminine adjective meaning 'alone', 'single', or 'only'.
mi: mee — First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'to me'.
serve: SER-veh — Third-person of 'servire'; serves or is useful for.
a: ah — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in' a place.
nulla: NOOL-lah — Nothing; used to indicate absence of anything useful.
devo: DEH-voh — First-person of 'dovere'; I must or I have to.
avere: ah-VEH-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to have'; also used as auxiliary verb.
intero: een-TEH-roh — Adjective meaning entire, whole, or complete.
Allora: ahl-LOH-rah — Adverb meaning 'then' or 'so', used for transition.
maggiore: mahd-JOH-reh — Adjective meaning greater, major, or elder (son).
partì: par-TEE — Past tense of 'partire'; departed or set out on journey.
pensò: pen-SOH — Past tense of 'pensare'; thought or believed something.
trovare: troh-VAH-reh — Infinitive meaning to find or locate something.
molto: MOHL-toh — Adverb or adjective meaning 'very', 'much', or 'a lot'.
facilmente: fah-cheel-MEN-teh — Adverb meaning easily or without difficulty.
quando: KWAHN-doh — Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a temporal clause.
aveva: ah-VEH-vah — Imperfect of 'avere'; had, indicating a past possession.
percorso: per-KOR-soh — Past participle of 'percorrere'; traveled or covered a distance.
solo: SOH-loh — Adjective or adverb meaning 'only', 'alone', or 'just'.
breve: BREH-veh — Adjective meaning brief, short in length or duration.
tratto: TRAHT-toh — A stretch or section of road or path.
strada: STRAH-dah — A road or street used for travel.
giunse: JOON-seh — Past tense of 'giungere'; arrived or reached a place.
bosco: BOH-skoh — A wood or small forest area with trees.
ai: eye — Contraction of 'a i'; to the (masculine plural).
margini: MAR-jee-nee — Plural of 'margine'; edges or borders of something.
vide: VEE-deh — Past tense of 'vedere'; saw or caught sight of.
volpe: VOL-peh — A fox; a cunning wild animal with bushy tail.
seduta: seh-DOO-tah — Past participle of 'sedere'; seated or sitting down.
così: koh-ZEE — Adverb meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'in this way'.
prese: PREH-seh — Past tense of 'prendere'; took or grabbed something.
arco: AR-koh — A bow used to shoot arrows; also an arch.
si: see — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'.
preparò: preh-pah-ROH — Past tense of 'preparare'; prepared or got ready to act.
spararle: spah-RAR-leh — Infinitive 'sparare' with pronoun; to shoot at her.
Non: nohn — Adverb of negation meaning 'do not' or 'not'.
spararmi: spah-RAR-mee — Infinitive 'sparare' with reflexive pronoun; to shoot me.
poiché: poy-KEH — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'since', giving a reason.
ti: tee — Second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you' (informal object).
darò: dah-ROH — Future of 'dare'; I will give something to someone.
buon: bwohn — Masculine form of 'buono'; good, used before consonants.
so: soh — First-person of 'sapere'; I know a fact or information.
qual: kwahl — Shortened form of 'quale'; which or what kind of.
è: eh — Third-person singular of 'essere'; is, indicating present state.
tuo: TOO-oh — Second-person possessive adjective meaning 'your' (informal singular).
scopo: SKOH-poh — A goal, purpose, or aim one intends to achieve.
vuoi: VWOH-ee — Second-person singular of 'volere'; you want or wish.

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