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THE TALE OF TWO BAD MICE

EL CUENTO DE LOS DOS RATONES TRAVIESOS

FOR W. M. L. W. THE LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD THE DOLL'S HOUSE

PARA W. M. L. W. LA NIÑA QUE TENÍA LA CASA DE MUÑECAS

THE TALE OF TWO BAD MICE BY BEATRIX POTTER Author of 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit,' &c.

EL CUENTO DE LOS DOS RATONES TRAVIESOS POR BEATRIX POTTER Autora de 'El cuento de Pedro el Conejo,' etc.

LONDON FREDERICK WARNE AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1904 [All rights reserved]

LONDRES FREDERICK WARNE AND CO. Y NUEVA YORK 1904 [Todos los derechos reservados]

COPYRIGHT 1904 BY FREDERICK WARNE & CO. ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.

COPYRIGHT 1904 POR FREDERICK WARNE & CO. INSCRITO EN STATIONERS' HALL.

ONCE upon a time there was a very beautiful doll's-house; it was red brick with white windows, and it had real muslin curtains and a front door and a chimney.

ÉRASE una vez una casa de muñecas muy hermosa; era de ladrillo rojo con ventanas blancas, y tenía cortinas de muselina de verdad, una puerta principal y una chimenea.

IT belonged to two Dolls called Lucinda and Jane; at least it belonged to Lucinda, but she never ordered meals.

PERTENECÍA a dos muñecas llamadas Lucinda y Jane; al menos pertenecía a Lucinda, pero ella nunca pedía las comidas.

Jane was the Cook; but she never did any cooking, because the dinner had been bought ready-made, in a box full of shavings.

Jane era la Cocinera; pero nunca cocinaba nada, porque la cena había sido comprada ya preparada, en una caja llena de virutas.

THERE were two red lobsters and a ham, a fish, a pudding, and some pears and oranges.

HABÍA dos langostas rojas y un jamón, un pescado, un pudín y algunas peras y naranjas.

They would not come off the plates, but they were extremely beautiful.

No se despegaban de los platos, pero eran extraordinariamente hermosos.

ONE morning Lucinda and Jane had gone out for a drive in the doll's perambulator.

UNA mañana Lucinda y Jane habían salido a pasear en el cochecito de la muñeca.

There was no one in the nursery, and it was very quiet.

No había nadie en el cuarto de los niños, y estaba muy tranquilo.

Presently there was a little scuffling, scratching noise in a corner near the fire-place, where there was a hole under the skirting-board.

De pronto se oyó un pequeño ruido de arañazos y revoloteos en un rincón cerca de la chimenea, donde había un agujero bajo el zócalo.

Tom Thumb put out his head for a moment, and then popped it in again.

Pulgarcito asomó la cabeza un momento, y luego la volvió a meter.

Tom Thumb was a mouse.

Pulgarcito era un ratón.

Vocabulary

CUENTO
A short story or tale
RATONES
Plural of mouse; small rodents
TRAVIESOS
Mischievous or naughty, typically describing children or animals
NIÑA
A young girl or female child
TENÍA
Past imperfect of tener; 'had' or 'used to have'
MUÑECAS
Dolls; also means wrists in another context
Autora
Female author or writer of a literary work
cuento
A short story or tale
Conejo
A rabbit; small furry mammal
LONDRES
London; the capital city of England
NUEVA
Feminine form of new; used in place names
Todos
All or everyone; refers to the whole group
derechos
Rights or legal entitlements; also means straight
reservados
Reserved; held back for exclusive use or ownership
INSCRITO
Registered or enrolled in an official record
ÉRASE
Archaic past form of ser; used in 'once upon a time'
vez
A time or instance; once in 'érase una vez'
muñecas
Dolls; toy figures resembling people
hermosa
Beautiful or lovely, feminine adjective
era
Past imperfect of ser; 'was' or 'used to be'
ladrillo
A brick used in construction of buildings
rojo
The color red
ventanas
Windows; openings in walls for light and air
blancas
White, feminine plural adjective
tenía
Past imperfect of tener; 'had' or 'used to have'
cortinas
Curtains; fabric hangings used to cover windows
muselina
Muslin; a lightweight plain-woven cotton fabric
verdad
Truth or reality; genuinely real
puerta
A door or gate entry point
principal
Main or primary; most important element
chimenea
A chimney or fireplace in a building
PERTENECÍA
Past imperfect of pertenecer; 'belonged to'
llamadas
Called or named; past participle of llamar
menos
Less or fewer; used in comparisons
pertenecía
Past imperfect of pertenecer; 'belonged to'
nunca
Never; at no time or on no occasion
pedía
Past imperfect of pedir; 'asked for' or 'ordered'
comidas
Meals or foods; instances of eating
Cocinera
A female cook who prepares food
cocinaba
Past imperfect of cocinar; 'cooked' or 'used to cook'
nada
Nothing; not anything at all
cena
Dinner or supper; the evening meal
había
Past form of haber; 'there was' or 'had'
sido
Past participle of ser; 'been'
comprada
Bought or purchased; past participle of comprar
ya
Already or now; indicates something has occurred
preparada
Prepared or ready; past participle of preparar
caja
A box or crate used for storage
llena
Full; filled completely with something
virutas
Wood shavings or chips used as packing material
HABÍA
Past form of haber; 'there was/were'
langostas
Lobsters; large marine crustaceans used as food
rojas
Red; feminine plural adjective for the color
jamón
Ham; cured or cooked pork leg meat
pescado
Fish as food; caught and prepared for eating
pudín
Pudding; a soft sweet dessert dish
algunas
Some; an unspecified number of feminine things
peras
Pears; sweet juicy fruits shaped like teardrops
naranjas
Oranges; round citrus fruits with orange skin
despegaban
Past imperfect of despegar; 'came unstuck' or 'detached'
platos
Plates or dishes used for serving food
eran
Past imperfect of ser; 'were' or 'used to be'
extraordinariamente
Extraordinarily; in a remarkably exceptional manner
hermosos
Beautiful or lovely; masculine plural adjective
mañana
Morning; the early part of the day
habían
Past perfect auxiliary; 'had' used with past participle
salido
Past participle of salir; 'gone out' or 'left'
pasear
To go for a walk or stroll
cochecito
A small carriage or stroller; diminutive of coche
muñeca
A doll; a toy figure resembling a person
nadie
Nobody or no one; not any person
cuarto
A room in a house; also means a quarter
niños
Children; young boys or kids in general
estaba
Past imperfect of estar; 'was' describing a state
tranquilo
Calm, quiet, or peaceful in atmosphere
pronto
Soon or suddenly; also means quickly
oyó
Past preterite of oír; 'heard' a sound
pequeño
Small or little; describes something of minor size
ruido
Noise or sound; an audible disturbance
arañazos
Scratches or scraping sounds made by claws
revoloteos
Flutterings or flitting movements; light bustling sounds
rincón
A corner or nook inside a room
cerca
Near or close to something in proximity
donde
Where; a relative adverb indicating place
agujero
A hole or opening in a surface
bajo
Under or below; also means low or short
zócalo
A baseboard or skirting board at wall base
Pulgarcito
Tom Thumb; tiny fictional character; diminutive of pulgar
asomó
Past preterite of asomar; 'peeked out' or 'appeared'
cabeza
The head; the uppermost part of the body
momento
A moment or instant; a brief period of time
luego
Then or later; indicates sequence of events
volvió
Past preterite of volver; 'returned' or 'went back'
meter
To put in or insert something into a place
ratón
A mouse; a small rodent
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