The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin — Page 5
But Nutkin ran in front laughing, and shouting--
Ma Nutkin corse avanti ridendo e gridando--
"Humpty Dumpty lies in the beck, With a white counterpane round his neck, Forty doctors and forty wrights, Cannot put Humpty Dumpty to rights!"
"Humpty Dumpty giace nel ruscello, Con una bianca coperta intorno al collo, Quaranta dottori e quaranta falegnami, Non riescono a rimettere a posto Humpty Dumpty!"
Now old Mr. Brown took an interest in eggs; he opened one eye and shut it again.
Allora il vecchio signor Brown si interessò alle uova; aprì un occhio e lo richiuse.
But still he did not speak.
Ma ancora non parlò.
Nutkin became more and more impertinent--
Nutkin diventava sempre più impertinente--
"Old Mr. B! Old Mr. B! Hickamore, Hackamore, on the King's kitchen door; All the King's horses, and all the King's men, Couldn't drive Hickamore, Hackamore, Off the King's kitchen door."
"Vecchio signor B! Vecchio signor B! Hickamore, Hackamore, sulla porta della cucina del Re; Tutti i cavalli del Re, e tutti gli uomini del Re, Non riuscivano a cacciare Hickamore, Hackamore, Dalla porta della cucina del Re."
Nutkin danced up and down like a sunbeam; but still Old Brown said nothing at all.
Nutkin saltellava su e giù come un raggio di sole; ma il vecchio Brown non disse ancora nulla.
Nutkin began again--
Nutkin ricominciò--
"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band, He comes roaring up the land! The King of Scots with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!"
"Arthur O'Bower ha spezzato la sua catena, Viene ruggendo attraverso la terra! Il Re degli Scozzesi con tutto il suo potere, Non può fermare Arthur of the Bower!"
Nutkin made a whirring noise to sound like the wind, and he took a running jump right onto the head of Old Brown!...
Nutkin emise un ronzio per imitare il vento, e prese la rincorsa saltando proprio sulla testa del vecchio Brown!...
Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud "Squeak!"
Poi tutto a un tratto ci fu un gran battito d'ali e un trambusto e un forte "Squittio!"
The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.
Gli altri scoiattoli scapparono di corsa tra i cespugli.
When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree--there was Old Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.
Quando tornarono molto cautamente, spiando attorno all'albero--c'era il vecchio Brown seduto sul suo gradino, del tutto immobile, con gli occhi chiusi, come se nulla fosse accaduto.
But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!
Ma Nutkin era nella tasca del suo panciotto!
This looks like the end of the story; but it isn't.
Sembra la fine della storia; ma non lo è.
Vocabulary
- Ma
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast
- corse
- He/she ran, past tense of 'correre'
- avanti
- Forward, ahead, or come in
- ridendo
- Laughing, present participle of 'ridere'
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- gridando
- Shouting, present participle of 'gridare'
- giace
- He/she lies down or rests, from 'giacere'
- nel
- Contraction of 'in il', meaning 'in the'
- ruscello
- A small stream or brook in nature
- Con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- bianca
- Feminine adjective meaning white in color
- coperta
- A blanket or cover used for warmth
- intorno
- Around, surrounding something or someone
- al
- Contraction of 'a il', meaning 'to the'
- collo
- The neck, body part connecting head to torso
- Quaranta
- The number forty
- dottori
- Doctors, plural of 'dottore', medical professionals
- quaranta
- The number forty
- falegnami
- Carpenters, plural of 'falegname', woodworking craftsmen
- Non
- Negation word meaning 'not'
- riescono
- They succeed or manage to do something
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- rimettere
- To put back or restore something to place
- posto
- Place, position, or spot
- Allora
- Then, so, or at that moment in time
- il
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
- vecchio
- Old, adjective describing age, or old man
- signor
- Mister, courtesy title for an adult male
- si
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'
- interessò
- He/she became interested in something, past tense
- alle
- Contraction of 'a le', meaning 'to the' plural
- uova
- Eggs, plural of 'uovo'
- aprì
- He/she opened, past tense of 'aprire'
- un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- occhio
- An eye, the organ used for seeing
- lo
- Direct object pronoun meaning 'him' or 'it'
- richiuse
- He/she closed again, past tense of 'richiudere'
- ancora
- Still, yet, or again
- non
- Negation word meaning 'not'
- parlò
- He/she spoke, past tense of 'parlare'
- diventava
- He/she was becoming, imperfect tense of 'diventare'
- sempre
- Always or ever, indicating continuity
- più
- More, used in comparisons or degree
- impertinente
- Impertinent, rude, or disrespectful in behavior
- Vecchio
- Old, adjective describing advanced age
- sulla
- Contraction of 'su la', meaning 'on the'
- porta
- Door or gate of a building or room
- della
- Contraction of 'di la', meaning 'of the' feminine
- cucina
- Kitchen, the room where food is cooked
- del
- Contraction of 'di il', meaning 'of the'
- Re
- King, male monarch or ruler of a kingdom
- Tutti
- All, everyone, indicating totality of a group
- i
- Masculine plural definite article meaning 'the'
- cavalli
- Horses, plural of 'cavallo'
- tutti
- All, everyone, indicating totality of a group
- gli
- Masculine plural definite article before vowels
- uomini
- Men, plural of 'uomo'
- riuscivano
- They managed or succeeded, imperfect tense of 'riuscire'
- cacciare
- To hunt, chase, or drive away
- Dalla
- Contraction of 'da la', meaning 'from the'
- saltellava
- He/she was hopping or skipping, imperfect tense
- su
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'up', or 'upon'
- giù
- Down, indicating downward direction or movement
- come
- Like, as, or how
- raggio
- Ray or beam of light
- di
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- sole
- The sun, star at center of solar system
- ma
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast
- disse
- He/she said, past tense of 'dire'
- nulla
- Nothing, not anything at all
- ricominciò
- He/she started again, past tense of 'ricominciare'
- ha
- He/she has, third person singular of 'avere'
- spezzato
- Broken, past participle of 'spezzare'
- la
- Feminine definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'
- sua
- His or her, feminine possessive adjective
- catena
- A chain, linked metal restraint or fastening
- Viene
- He/she comes, third person singular of 'venire'
- ruggendo
- Roaring, present participle of 'ruggire'
- attraverso
- Through or across something
- terra
- Earth, land, ground, or soil
- Il
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
- degli
- Contraction of 'di gli', meaning 'of the' plural
- Scozzesi
- Scottish people, plural of 'scozzese'
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- tutto
- All, whole, or everything
- suo
- His or her, masculine possessive adjective
- potere
- Power, ability, or to be able to
- può
- He/she can, third person singular of 'potere'
- fermare
- To stop or halt someone or something
- emise
- He/she emitted or let out, past tense of 'emettere'
- ronzio
- A buzzing or humming sound
- per
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'in order to'
- imitare
- To imitate or mimic someone or something
- vento
- Wind, moving air in the atmosphere
- prese
- He/she took, past tense of 'prendere'
- rincorsa
- A running start before jumping or leaping
- saltando
- Jumping, present participle of 'saltare'
- proprio
- Own, exactly, or precisely; one's very own
- testa
- Head, the upper part of the body
- Poi
- Then, afterward, or next in sequence
- tratto
- Stretch, trait, or suddenly (in 'd'un tratto')
- ci
- Reflexive or locative pronoun meaning 'there' or 'us'
- fu
- There was, past tense of 'essere'
- gran
- Great or big, abbreviated form of 'grande'
- battito
- Beat, flap, or throbbing sound or movement
- d'
- Elided form of 'di', meaning 'of'
- ali
- Wings, plural of 'ala'
- trambusto
- Commotion, uproar, or noisy confusion
- forte
- Strong, loud, or powerfully
- Squittio
- Squeaking or squealing sound made by small animals
- Gli
- Masculine plural definite article meaning 'the'
- altri
- Others, the other ones in a group
- scoiattoli
- Squirrels, plural of 'scoiattolo'
- scapparono
- They escaped or ran away, past tense of 'scappare'
- corsa
- A run or race, rapid movement on foot
- tra
- Between or among things or people
- cespugli
- Bushes, plural of 'cespuglio'
- Quando
- When, introducing a temporal clause
- tornarono
- They returned, past tense of 'tornare'
- molto
- Very, much, or a lot
- cautamente
- Cautiously, carefully, with great care
- spiando
- Spying or peering, present participle of 'spiare'
- attorno
- Around, on all sides of something
- all'
- Contraction of 'a l'', meaning 'to the' before vowel
- albero
- A tree, woody perennial plant
- c'
- Elided form of 'ci', meaning 'there is/are'
- era
- He/she/it was, imperfect tense of 'essere'
- seduto
- Seated, sitting, past participle of 'sedere'
- sul
- Contraction of 'su il', meaning 'on the'
- gradino
- A step or stair in a staircase
- immobile
- Motionless, still, not moving at all
- occhi
- Eyes, plural of 'occhio'
- chiusi
- Closed, plural past participle of 'chiudere'
- se
- If, whether, introducing conditional clauses
- fosse
- Were, subjunctive imperfect of 'essere'
- accaduto
- Happened, past participle of 'accadere'
- nella
- Contraction of 'in la', meaning 'in the' feminine
- tasca
- A pocket in clothing or a bag
- panciotto
- A waistcoat or vest, sleeveless garment
- Sembra
- It seems or appears, from 'sembrare'
- fine
- End, finish, or conclusion of something
- storia
- Story, history, or tale
- è
- He/she/it is, third person singular of 'essere'
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →