OS BAUTIZOS DO RAPOSO/THE FOX'S CHRISTENINGS

Era un ano de moitas neves. O raposo e o lobo non encontraban comida e tian moita fame. Un da, o raposo dxolle lobo: Compadre, o mellor que podemos facer , como fan os homes, cavar unha leira e sementar un pouco trigo, as polo menos teremos pan. Moi ben pensado. Pero, que habemos comer mentras traballamos na leira? Iso amamolo fcil. Cebamos un cocho e, en canto o matemos, empezamos coa leira.

It had been a snowy year. The fox and the wolf were unable to find food and they were very hungry. So one day, the fox said to the wolf: - The best thing we can do is copy what men do and plough a field to sow some wheat so we will at least have bread. - Well said, but what will we eat while we plough? - That's easy. We can fatten a pig and once we have slaughtered it we can begin with the field.

E cebaron o porco, matrono e enterrrono no monte para que ningun o vise. Pero deixronlle o rabo por fra, de sinal, por se acaso despois non acertaban co sitio.

Entn empezaron a cavar. O lobo dballe duro, pero o raposo faca que traballaba, levando unha xesta de aqu para al, ou tirando pola raz dun fento. Ao pouco de empezar o traballo, o raposo sentiu fame. Puxo unha man na orella como para or mellor, e dxolle ao lobo:

So they fattened the pig and slaughtered and buried it in a safe place. They left its tail visible so as to find it afterwards. They started to work. The wolf worked hard but the fox only pretended. And soon after beginning, the fox became hungry. He placed his hand behind his ear as if someone were calling him and said to the wolf: Compadre, parece que me chaman. E berrou coma quen que contestaba aos que chamaban por el: Xa vou, comadre! Xa vou! Logo dxolle ao lobo: unha comadre mi a, que vai bautizar un fillo. Chmame para que lle vaia de padri o, e non lle podo dicir que non. Pois vai se tes que ir, que eu mentras vou adiantando o traballo.

- Someone is calling me. And he yelled as if he were answering. - I'm on my way! So he said to the wolf: - It's a friend of mine, who is christening a child and wants me to be the godfather, so what could I say? - Fine. Go then and I'll carry on working.

O raposo marchou, pero non foi a bautizo ningn. Foi direitio para onde estaba o porco e comeu a fartar. Deitouse a descansar e, cando lle pareceu, volveu onda o lobo, e d xolle: Ai, voche ben cansado! Tiven que andar d as leguas para ir ao bautizo, e outras tantas para volver. E que nome lle puxeches ao rapaz? Pxenlle "Empezadallo".

But the fox did not go to a christening; instead, he went to find the pig and ate untill he was full. Then he lay down to rest and after went back to where the wolf was hard at work and said: - I am so tired after the long trip back from the christening! - Oh dear! And what did they name the baby?

-Umm, "Begunit".

Eche ben bonito o nome. Eu xa adiantei bastante a cavar na leira. Te o fame. Por que non imos comer un pouco do cocho? Non, iso non pode ser! Se enchemos o bandullo despois danos o sono e non temos gana de cavar. Hai que rematar o traballo primeiro. E volveron ao choio. Non pasaran cinco minutos e o raposo fixo outra vez como se chamasen por el para ir bautizar un pequeno. Dxollo ao lobo e foi comer no porco un pouco mis. Ao volver dxolle ao lobo:

- What an original name! I have been working and I am hungry so why don't we go and eat some of the pig? - No, that can't be. If we fill our belly before finishing our work we will become sleepy. Let us plough.

So they went back to work. Five minutes had not yet passed when the fox again pretended to be called off to a christening. He went off and ate some more of the pig. When he returned he said:

Ai, veo desfeito! Este bautizo era a catro leguas. E como lle puxeches ao neno? Pxenlle "Mediadallo". Tamn este nome lle gustou ao lobo, e seguiron cavando. De al a un pouco fixo o raposo a xogada por terceira vez. Acabou de comer o porco, e deixou o rabo nada mis. O lobo foi tan inocente que non desconfiou do raposo e, volta, preguntoulle:

- I am exhausted! This christening was even further away. - And what is the baby's name? - Umm, "Halfeatenit". The wolf liked this name too so they continued ploughing. But after a while, the fox did the same thing over again and finished the pig except for its tail. The wolf was so naive that when the fox returned he asked:

Como lle puxeches cativo? Pxenlle "Acabadallo". Moi ben. Pois eu mentras terminei de cavar a leira. E foron ao monte para comer o porco. Ao chegar, dixo o raposo: A tes o rabo. Tira ti por el, que tes mis forza. O lobo tirou polo rabo e caeu de cu. E dixo o raposo: Tiraches tanto que lle arrincaches o rabo.

- What did they name the child? - Umm, "Finishedit". - Great, well I have finished ploughing the field. So they went in search of the pig and when they found it, the fox said: - There's the tail. Pull it. So the wolf did and fell backwards. The fox said : - You pulled so hard that you pulled it off. Entn puxronse a escarvar pero o porco non aparec a por ningures. Empezaron a rifar. O raposo botballe as culpas ao lobo: Ai, lambn, mentras eu fun aos bautizos comiches o cocho. O lobo botballas ao raposo: Mentireiro, en vez de ir aos bautizos vaste encher.

So they began to dig and the pig was nowhere to be found. They then began to argue and the fox blamed the wolf. - I can't believe it, while I was at the christenings you came up here to gobble up the pig. And the wolf blamed the fox. - Liar. You came to eat the pig instead of going to the christenings.

E ao final o raposo dixo: Imos facer unha proba. Deitmonos e, ao primeiro que lle se a barriga, ese foi o que comeu o cocho. Ao lobo pareceulle ben, porque ti a a conciencia tranquila, e deitronse. O raposo cerrou os ollos pero non durmiu. O lobo quedou durmido axi a, porque traballara moito e estaba canso. Cando o lobo roncaba, foi o raposo e mexoulle na barriga. Espertouno e d xolle: Fuches ti o que comeu o cocho, que tes o bandullo todo suado. O lobo, ao verse as mollado, dixo:

E mis comn, ho, pero foi sen me dar conta!

In the end the fox said: - We will rest and the first one to get a sweaty tummy is the culprate. As the wolf had a clean conscience, he agreed. But the fox did not go to sleep and as soon as he heard the wolf snoring he got up and peed on his tummy and then woke him up and said: - You ate the pig! Look at your sweaty tummy! When the wolf saw himself he said: - It must have been me without even realising!