The Little Ant: La hormiguita

La hormiguita

The Little Ant

Había vez y vez una hormiguita tan primorosa, tan concertada, tan hacendosa, que era un encanto.

Once upon a time there was a little ant who was so dainty, so neat, and so industrious that she was an absolute delight.

Un día que estaba barriendo la puerta de su casa, se halló un ochavito.

One day, while sweeping the doorway of her house, she found a little coin worth an eighth of a real.

Dijo para sí: ¿Qué haré con este ochavito?

She said to herself, "What shall I do with this little coin?"

¿Compraré piñones?

Shall I buy some pine nuts?

No, que no los puedo partir.

No, for I cannot crack them open.

¿Compraré merengues?

Shall I buy some meringues?

No, que es una golosina.

No, for they are just a sweet treat.

Pensolo más, y se fue a una tienda, donde compró un poco de arrebol, se lavó, se peinó, se aderezó, se puso su colorete y se sentó a la ventana.

She thought it over a little longer, then went to a shop, where she bought some rouge. She washed herself, combed her hair, tidied herself up, put on her blush, and sat down by the window.

Ya se ve; como que estaba tan acicalada y tan bonita, todo el que pasaba se enamoraba de ella.

And, of course, since she was so elegantly dressed and so pretty, everyone who passed by fell in love with her.

Pasó un toro, y la dijo:

A bull came by and said to her:

-Hormiguita, ¿te quieres casar conmigo?

"Little Ant, would you like to marry me?"

-¿Y cómo me enamorarás? -respondió la hormiguita.

"And how will you woo me?" replied the little ant.

El toro se puso a rugir; la hormiga se tapó los oídos con ambas patas.

The bull began to bellow, and the ant covered her ears with both paws.

-Sigue tu camino -le dijo al toro-, que me asustas, me asombras y me espantas.

"Go on your way," she said to the bull, "for you frighten me, startle me, and terrify me."

Y lo propio sucedió con un perro que ladró, un gato que maulló, un cochino que gruñó, un gallo que cacareó.

The same thing happened with a dog that barked, a cat that meowed, a pig that grunted, and a rooster that crowed.

Todos causaban alejamiento a la hormiga; ninguno se ganó su voluntad, hasta que pasó un ratonpérez, que la supo enamorar tan fina y delicadamente, que la hormiguita le dio su manita negra.

They all put the little ant off; not one of them won her affection, until along came a little mouse named Ratonpérez, who knew how to court her so gently and delicately that the little ant gave him her little black paw in marriage.

Vivían como tortolitas, y tan felices, que de eso no se ha visto desde que el mundo es mundo.

They lived like lovebirds, and were so happy that no happiness like theirs had ever been seen since the world began.

Quiso la mala suerte que un día fuese la hormiguita sola a misa, después de poner la olla, que dejó al cuidado de ratonpérez, advirtiéndole, como tan prudente que era, que no menease la olla con la cuchara chica, sino con el cucharón; pero el ratonpérez hizo, por su mal, lo contrario de lo que le dijo su mujer: cogió la cuchara chica para menear la olla, y así fue que sucedió lo que ella había previsto.

Unfortunately, one day the little ant went to Mass alone after putting the pot on the fire. She left it in Ratonpérez's care, wisely warning him not to stir the pot with the little spoon, but with the large ladle. But, to his own misfortune, Ratonpérez did the opposite of what his wife had told him: he took the little spoon to stir the pot, and so what she had foreseen came to pass.

Ratonpérez, con su torpeza, se cayó en la olla, como en un pozo, y allí murió ahogado.

In his clumsiness, Ratonpérez fell into the pot as though it were a well, and drowned there.

Al volver la hormiguita a su casa, llamó a la puerta.

When the little ant returned home, she knocked on the door.

Nadie respondió ni vino a abrir.

No one answered or came to open it.

Entonces se fue a casa de una vecina para que la dejase entrar por el tejado.

So she went to a neighbor's house and asked her to let her in through the roof.

Pero la vecina no quiso, y tuvo que mandar por el cerrajero, que le descerrajase la puerta.

But the neighbor refused, so she had to send for a locksmith to force the door open.

Fuese la hormiguita en derechura a la cocina; miró la olla, y allí estaba, ¡qué dolor!, el ratonpérez ahogado, dando vueltas sobre el caldo que hervía.

The little ant went straight to the kitchen and looked into the pot. And there he was, oh, what a terrible sight! Ratonpérez lay drowned, swirling around in the boiling broth.

La hormiguita se echó a llorar amargamente.

The little ant burst into bitter tears.

Vino el pájaro, y la dijo:

A little bird came along and said to her:

-¿Por qué lloras?

"Why are you crying?"

Ella respondió:

She replied:

-Porque ratonpérez se cayó en la olla.

"Because Ratonpérez fell into the pot."

-Pues yo, pajarito, me corto el piquito.

"Well then, I, little bird, shall cut off my little beak."

Vino la paloma, y la dijo:

A dove came along and said to her:

-¿Por qué, pajarito, te has cortado el pico?

"Why, little bird, have you cut off your beak?"

-Porque el ratonpérez se cayó en la olla, y que la hormiguita lo siente y lo llora.

"Because Ratonpérez fell into the pot, and the little ant grieves for him and weeps."

-Pues yo, la paloma, me corto la cola.

"Well then, I, the dove, shall cut off my tail."

Dijo el palomar:

The dovecote said:

-¿Por qué tú, paloma, cortaste tu cola?

"Why, dove, did you cut off your tail?"

-Porque ratonpérez se cayó en la olla, y que la hormiguita lo siente y lo llora; y que el pajarito cortó su piquito, y yo, la paloma, me corto la cola.

"Because Ratonpérez fell into the pot, and the little ant grieves for him and weeps; and the little bird cut off its little beak, so I, the dove, am cutting off my tail."

-Pues yo, palomar, voyme a derribar.

"Well then, I, the dovecote, shall bring myself crashing down."

Dijo la fuente clara:

The clear spring said:

-¿Por qué, palomar, vaste a derribar?

"Why, dovecote, are you going to bring yourself crashing down?"

-Porque el ratonpérez se cayó en la olla, y que la hormiguita lo siente y lo llora; y que el pajarito cortó su piquito; y que la paloma se corta la cola; y yo, palomar, voyme a derribar.

"Because Ratonpérez fell into the pot, and the little ant grieves for him and weeps; the little bird cut off its little beak; the dove is cutting off her tail; and I, the dovecote, am going to bring myself crashing down."

-Pues yo, fuente clara, me pongo a llorar.

"Well then, I, the clear spring, shall begin to weep."

Vino la Infanta a llenar la cántara.

The Princess came to fill her water jar.

-¿Por qué, fuente clara, póneste a llorar?

"Why, clear spring, have you begun to weep?"

Porque el ratonpérez se cayó en la olla, y que la hormiguita lo siente y lo llora; y que el pajarito se cortó el piquito, y que la paloma se corta la cola; y que el palomar fuese a derribar; y yo, fuente clara, me pongo a llorar.

Because Ratonpérez fell into the pot, and the little ant grieves for him and weeps; the little bird cut off its little beak; the dove is cutting off her tail; the dovecote is going to bring itself crashing down; and I, the clear spring, have begun to weep.

-Pues yo, que soy Infanta, romperé mi cántara.

"Well then, I, who am a Princess, shall smash my water jar."

Y yo, que lo cuento, acabo en lamento, porque el ratonpérez se cayó en la olla, ¡y que la hormiguita lo siente y lo llora!

And I, who tell this tale, end on a note of sorrow, because Ratonpérez fell into the pot, and the little ant grieves for him and weeps!