The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck — Page 2
[Illustration]
[Ilustración]
Jemima Puddle-duck was not much in the habit of flying. She ran downhill a few yards flapping her shawl, and then she jumped off into the air.
Jemima Puddle-duck no tenía mucho el hábito de volar. Corrió cuesta abajo unos pocos metros agitando su chal, y luego saltó al aire.
[Illustration]
[Ilustración]
She flew beautifully when she had got a good start.
Volaba muy bien cuando había logrado un buen impulso.
She skimmed along over the tree-tops until she saw an open place in the middle of the wood, where the trees and brushwood had been cleared.
Planeó sobre las copas de los árboles hasta que vio un claro en medio del bosque, donde los árboles y la maleza habían sido despejados.
[Illustration]
[Ilustración]
Jemima alighted rather heavily, and began to waddle about in search of a convenient dry nesting-place.
Jemima aterrizó con bastante torpeza, y comenzó a caminar contoneándose en busca de un lugar seco y conveniente para anidar.
She rather fancied a tree-stump amongst some tall fox-gloves.
Le llamó bastante la atención un tocón de árbol entre unas altas dedaleras.
But--seated upon the stump, she was startled to find an elegantly dressed gentleman reading a newspaper.
Pero, al sentarse sobre el tocón, se sorprendió al encontrar a un caballero elegantemente vestido leyendo un periódico.
He had black prick ears and sandy coloured whiskers.
Tenía orejas negras y erguidas y bigotes de color arena.
"Quack?" said Jemima Puddle-duck, with her head and her bonnet on one side--"Quack?"
«¿Cuac?», dijo Jemima Puddle-duck, con la cabeza y su cofia ladeadas, «¿Cuac?»
[Illustration]
[Ilustración]
The gentleman raised his eyes above his newspaper and looked curiously at Jemima--
El caballero levantó los ojos por encima de su periódico y miró a Jemima con curiosidad.
"Madam, have you lost your way?" said he. He had a long bushy tail which he was sitting upon, as the stump was somewhat damp.
«Señora, ¿se ha perdido usted?», dijo él. Tenía una larga cola tupida sobre la que estaba sentado, ya que el tocón estaba algo húmedo.
Jemima thought him mighty civil and handsome. She explained that she had not lost her way, but that she was trying to find a convenient dry nesting-place.
Jemima lo encontró muy cortés y apuesto. Explicó que no se había perdido, sino que estaba intentando encontrar un lugar seco y conveniente para anidar.
[Illustration]
[Ilustración]
"Ah! is that so? indeed!" said the gentleman with sandy whiskers, looking curiously at Jemima. He folded up the newspaper, and put it in his coat-tail pocket.
«¡Ah! ¿Es así? ¡Vaya!», dijo el caballero de los bigotes color arena, mirando a Jemima con curiosidad. Dobló el periódico y lo guardó en el bolsillo del faldón de su chaqueta.
Jemima complained of the superfluous hen.
Jemima se quejó de la gallina entrometida.
"Indeed! how interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl.
«¡Vaya! ¡Qué interesante! Ojalá pudiera conocer a esa ave.
Vocabulary
- Ilustración
- An image or drawing that accompanies text
- no
- Used to express negation or refusal
- tenía
- Past tense of tener; he/she/it had
- mucho
- A large amount or degree of something
- el
- Definite article meaning 'the' for masculine nouns
- hábito
- A regular practice or custom; a habit
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- volar
- To move through the air; to fly
- Corrió
- Past tense of correr; he/she ran quickly
- cuesta
- A slope or incline on terrain
- abajo
- In a lower position or direction; downward
- unos
- Indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'a few'
- pocos
- A small number of things or people
- metros
- Units of length equal to 100 centimeters
- agitando
- Waving or shaking something back and forth
- su
- Possessive pronoun meaning his, her, or its
- chal
- A piece of fabric worn over shoulders; shawl
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words
- luego
- Indicates what happens next; then or later
- saltó
- Past tense of saltar; he/she jumped or leaped
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el' meaning 'to the'
- aire
- The invisible gas mixture surrounding the earth
- Volaba
- Imperfect tense of volar; was flying through air
- muy
- Adverb used to intensify adjectives; very
- bien
- In a good or satisfactory manner; well
- cuando
- Conjunction referring to a time; when
- había
- Past perfect auxiliary verb; had (done something)
- logrado
- Past participle of lograr; achieved or accomplished
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' for masculine nouns
- buen
- Short form of bueno meaning good or favorable
- impulso
- A forward driving force or momentum
- Planeó
- Past tense of planear; he/she glided through air
- sobre
- Preposition meaning above, over, or on top
- las
- Definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns
- copas
- The top or crown part of trees
- los
- Definite article 'the' for masculine plural nouns
- árboles
- Large woody plants with trunks and branches
- hasta
- Preposition meaning until, up to, or as far
- vio
- Past tense of ver; he/she saw something
- claro
- A clearing or open space in a forest
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at a place
- medio
- The center or middle point of something
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el' meaning 'of the'
- bosque
- A large area densely covered with trees; forest
- donde
- Relative adverb meaning 'where' indicating location
- la
- Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns
- maleza
- Wild overgrown plants, weeds, or undergrowth
- habían
- Third person plural past perfect of haber; had
- sido
- Past participle of ser; been (state or identity)
- despejados
- Cleared away or removed from an area
- aterrizó
- Past tense of aterrizar; landed on the ground
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with' indicating accompaniment
- bastante
- To a considerable degree; quite or rather
- torpeza
- Lack of grace or coordination; clumsiness
- comenzó
- Past tense of comenzar; he/she began or started
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or indicating direction
- caminar
- To move on foot from place to place; walk
- contoneándose
- Walking with an exaggerated swaying motion; waddling
- busca
- The act of looking for something; search
- lugar
- A particular position or area; place or spot
- seco
- Free from moisture or liquid; dry
- conveniente
- Suitable or appropriate for a particular purpose
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for' or indicating purpose
- anidar
- To build or settle in a nest; to nest
- Le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning to him/her/it
- llamó
- Past tense of llamar; caught or called attention
- atención
- The mental focus directed toward something; attention
- tocón
- The remaining base of a cut tree; tree stump
- árbol
- A large woody plant with a trunk; tree
- entre
- Preposition meaning between or among multiple things
- unas
- Indefinite article meaning 'some' for feminine nouns
- altas
- Of great vertical extent; tall or high
- dedaleras
- Tall flowering plants with bell-shaped flowers; foxgloves
- Pero
- Conjunction expressing contrast or exception; but
- sentarse
- To lower oneself onto a seat; to sit down
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- sorprendió
- Past tense of sorprender; he/she was surprised
- encontrar
- To come across or discover something or someone
- caballero
- A well-mannered man of refinement; gentleman
- elegantemente
- In a stylish and graceful manner; elegantly
- vestido
- Wearing clothes; dressed in a particular way
- leyendo
- Present participle of leer; in the act of reading
- periódico
- A printed publication issued regularly; newspaper
- Tenía
- Imperfect tense of tener; he/she had or possessed
- orejas
- The external organs used for hearing; ears
- negras
- Of the darkest color, absorbing all light; black
- erguidas
- Held straight up in an upright position; erect
- bigotes
- Hair growing above the upper lip; mustache or whiskers
- color
- The visual property produced by light wavelengths; color
- arena
- Fine granular material; sand or sandy color
- dijo
- Past tense of decir; he/she said or told
- cabeza
- The uppermost part of the body; head
- cofia
- A close-fitting cap worn on the head; bonnet
- ladeadas
- Tilted or inclined to one side; cocked sideways
- El
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- levantó
- Past tense of levantar; he/she lifted or raised
- ojos
- The organs used for seeing; eyes
- por
- Preposition meaning by, through, or because of
- encima
- In a higher position; above or on top of
- miró
- Past tense of mirar; he/she looked or gazed
- curiosidad
- A strong desire to know or learn; curiosity
- Señora
- A polite title for a woman; madam or Mrs.
- ha
- Third person singular present of haber; has
- perdido
- Past participle of perder; lost or misplaced something
- usted
- Formal second person pronoun meaning 'you'
- él
- Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- una
- Indefinite article 'a' for feminine singular nouns
- larga
- Extended in measurement from end to end; long
- cola
- The rear appendage of an animal; tail
- tupida
- Densely packed together; thick or bushy
- estaba
- Imperfect tense of estar; he/she/it was located
- sentado
- Past participle of sentar; seated or sitting down
- ya
- Adverb meaning already or indicating a current state
- algo
- An unspecified thing or quantity; something or somewhat
- húmedo
- Slightly wet or containing moisture; damp
- lo
- Neuter or masculine direct object pronoun meaning 'it'
- encontró
- Past tense of encontrar; he/she found or met
- cortés
- Having good manners and respect; polite or courteous
- apuesto
- Having an attractive and pleasing appearance; handsome
- Explicó
- Past tense of explicar; he/she explained or clarified
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' expressing contrast
- intentando
- Present participle of intentar; trying or attempting
- Es
- Third person singular of ser; he/she/it is
- así
- In this or that manner; so or like that
- Vaya
- Exclamation expressing surprise or emphasis; well or go
- mirando
- Present participle of mirar; looking or watching
- Dobló
- Past tense of doblar; he/she folded or bent
- guardó
- Past tense of guardar; he/she stored or put away
- bolsillo
- A small pouch sewn into clothing; pocket
- faldón
- The lower hanging part of a coat or jacket; coattail
- chaqueta
- A short outer garment covering the upper body; jacket
- quejó
- Past tense of quejarse; he/she complained or grumbled
- gallina
- A female domestic bird kept for eggs; hen
- entrometida
- Tending to interfere in others' affairs; meddlesome
- Qué
- Interrogative or exclamatory word meaning 'what' or 'how'
- interesante
- Attracting attention or curiosity; interesting
- Ojalá
- Expresses a strong wish or hope; hopefully or if only
- pudiera
- Past subjunctive of poder; could or might be able
- conocer
- To be acquainted with a person or place; to meet
- esa
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' near the listener
- ave
- A warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate with wings; bird
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