Spanish-English bilingual book
Con ilustraciones de Vilhelm Pedersen.
Translated by Mrs. H. B. Paull. With illustrations of Vilhelm Pedersen
Primer episodio. El Espejo y el Trozo de Espejo
Story the First, Which Describes a Looking-Glass and the Broken Fragments
Pues bien, comencemos. Cuando lleguemos al final de este cuento, sabremos algo más de lo que ahora sabemos. Érase una vez un duende malvado, uno de los peores: el Diablo.
You must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now about a very wicked hobgoblin; he was one of the very worst, for he was a real demon.
Cierto dĂa se encontraba el diablo muy contento, pues habĂa fabricado un espejo dotado de una extraña propiedad: todo lo bello y lo bueno que en Ă©l se reflejaba, menguaba y menguaba … hasta casi desaparecer; todo lo que no valĂa nada y era malo y feo, resaltaba con fuerza, volviĂ©ndose peor aĂşn de lo que antes era.
One day, when he was in a merry mood, he made a looking-glass which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever.
Los paisajes más encantadores aparecĂan en Ă©l como platos de espinacas hervidas y las personas más buenas se hacĂan repulsivas o se reflejaban con la cabeza abajo, como si no tuvieran vientre y con sus caras tan desfiguradas que era prácticamente imposible reconocerlas; si se tenĂa una peca, se podĂa estar seguro de que la nariz y la boca quedarĂan cubiertas por ella.
The most lovely landscapes appeared like boiled spinach, and the people became hideous, and looked as if they stood on their heads and had no bodies. Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth.
El diablo consideraba todo esto tremendamente divertido. Si alguien se hallaba inmerso en un pensamiento bueno y piadoso, aparecĂa en el espejo con una mueca diabĂłlica, que provocaba las carcajadas del duende-diablo por su astuta invenciĂłn.
The demon said this was very amusing. When a good or pious thought passed through the mind of any one it was misrepresented in the glass; and then how the demon laughed at his cunning invention.
Todos los que acudĂan a la escuela de duendes — pues habĂa una escuela de duendes — contaban por todas partes que se habĂa producido un milagro; por fin se podrĂa ver, decĂan, el verdadero rostro del mundo y de sus gentes.
All who went to the demon’s school—for he kept a school—talked everywhere of the wonders they had seen, and declared that people could now, for the first time, see what the world and mankind were really like.
Fueron a todas partes con su espejo y, finalmente, no quedĂł ni un hombre ni un paĂs que no hubiera sido deformado.
They carried the glass about everywhere, till at last there was not a land nor a people who had not been looked at through this distorted mirror.
Se propusieron entonces volar hasta el mismo cielo para burlarse de los ángeles y de Nuestro Señor. Cuanto más alto subĂan, más muecas hacĂa el espejo y más se retorcĂa, hasta el punto que casi no podĂan sujetarlo; volaron cada vez más alto y cuando ya se encontraban cerca de Dios y de los ángeles, el espejo pataleĂł tan furiosamente con sus muecas que se les escapĂł de las manos y vino a estrellarse contra la tierra,
They wanted even to fly with it up to heaven to see the angels, but the higher they flew the more slippery the glass became, and they could scarcely hold it, till at last it slipped from their hands, fell to the earth, and was broken into millions of pieces.
rompiéndose en centenares de millones, o mejor, en miles de millones de añicos, y quizá más, de esta manera, hizo mucho más daño que antes,
But now the looking-glass caused more unhappiness than ever, for some of the fragments were not so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about the world into every country.
ya que la mayor parte de sus trozos apenas eran más grandes que un grano de arena y se esparcieron por el aire llegando a todo el mundo; cuando uno de esos diminutos fragmentos se metĂa en el ojo de alguien, allĂ se quedaba, y a partir de ese momento todo lo veĂan deformado, apreciando sĂłlo el lado malo de las cosas, pues cada mota de polvo de espejo conservaba la propiedad que habĂa tenido el espejo cuando estaba entero.
When one of these tiny atoms flew into a person’s eye, it stuck there unknown to him, and from that moment he saw everything through a distorted medium, or could see only the worst side of what he looked at, for even the smallest fragment retained the same power which had belonged to the whole mirror.
Lo más terrible fue que, a más de uno, alguna de estas minĂşsculas partĂculas se le alojĂł en el corazĂłn, con lo que Ă©ste quedaba convertido de inmediato en un trozo de hielo.
Some few persons even got a fragment of the looking-glass in their hearts, and this was very terrible, for their hearts became cold like a lump of ice.
Se encontraron también algunos trozos lo bastante grandes para ser utilizados como cristales de ventana, pero ¡que nadie se le ocurriese mirar a través de ellos amigos!
A few of the pieces were so large that they could be used as window-panes; it would have been a sad thing to look at our friends through them.
Otros fragmentos fueron utilizados para gafas, y cuando alguien se las ponĂa con la intenciĂłn de ver mejor, lo que contemplaba era sencillamente espantoso. El maligno reĂa hasta estallar de risa, cosa que a Ă©l le producĂa una sensaciĂłn sumamente agradable.
Other pieces were made into spectacles; this was dreadful for those who wore them, for they could see nothing either rightly or justly. At all this the wicked demon laughed till his sides shook—it tickled him so to see the mischief he had done.
TodavĂa ahora, andan flotando por el aire pequeños átomos de espejo. Escuchad a continuaciĂłn lo que sucediĂł con uno de ellos.
There were still a number of these little fragments of glass floating about in the air, and now you shall hear what happened with one of them.
Segundo episodio. Un Niño y una Niña
Second Story: A Little Boy and a Little Girl
En una gran ciudad — uno de esos lugares tan llenos de casas y de gentes, donde no hay suficiente espacio para que todos puedan tener un pequeño jardĂn y donde, en consecuencia, los que allĂ vivien deben contentarse con unas cuantas macetas —, habĂa dos pobres niños que, sin embargo, tenĂan un jardĂn algo más grande que un simple tiesto de flores.
In a large town, full of houses and people, there is not room for everybody to have even a little garden, therefore they are obliged to be satisfied with a few flowers in flower-pots. In one of these large towns lived two poor children who had a garden something larger and better than a few flower-pots.
No eran hermanos, pero se querian tanto como si lo fueran.
They were not brother and sister, but they loved each other almost as much as if they had been.
Las familias vivĂan en sendas buhardillas, justo enfrente una de otra; allĂ donde el tejado de una casa tocaba casi al de la otra, se abrĂan un par de pequeñas ventanas, una en cada buhardilla;
Their parents lived opposite to each other in two garrets, where the roofs of neighboring houses projected out towards each other and the water-pipe ran between them.
bastaba dar un pequeño salto sobre los canalones que corrĂan junto a los aleros para pasar de una ventana a otra.
In each house was a little window, so that any one could step across the gutter from one window to the other.
Cada familia tenĂa delante de su correspondiente ventana un cajĂłn grande de madera en el que cultivaban hortalizas, que más tarde pasarĂan a la mesa, y en que crecĂa tambiĂ©n un pequeño rosal; los dos rosales, uno en cada cajĂłn, crecĂan fuertes y hermosos.
The parents of these children had each a large wooden box in which they cultivated kitchen herbs for their own use, and a little rose-bush in each box, which grew splendidly.
Un dĂa, los padres tuvieron la idea de colocarlos perpendicularmente a los canalones, de modo que casi llegaban de ventana a ventana, ofreciendo el aspecto de dos verdaderos jardines.
Now after a while the parents decided to place these two boxes across the water-pipe, so that they reached from one window to the other and looked like two banks of flowers.
Los tallos de los guisantes colgaban a ambos lados y los rosales alargaban sus ramas enmarcando las ventanas e inclinándose cada uno hacia el otro; parecĂan dos arcos de triunfo de hojas y de flores.
Sweet-peas drooped over the boxes, and the rose-bushes shot forth long branches, which were trained round the windows and clustered together almost like a triumphal arch of leaves and flowers.
Como los cajones estaban situados muy altos, los niños sabĂan que no debĂan trepar hasta ellos, aunque a veces les daban permiso para subir y reunirse, sentándose bajo las rosas en sus pequeños taburetes. jugar allĂ era una verdadera delicia.
The boxes were very high, and the children knew they must not climb upon them, without permission, but they were often, however, allowed to step out together and sit upon their little stools under the rose-bushes, or play quietly.
Pero esta diversiĂłn les estaba vedada durante el invierno. Con frecuencia las ventanas se cubrĂan de escarcha y entonces los niños calentaban en la estufa una moneda de cobre, poniĂ©ndola a continuaciĂłn sobre el helado cristal de la ventana; conseguĂan asĂ una magnĂfica mirilla perfectamente redonda; detrás, espiaba un ojo afectuoso, uno en cada mirilla.
In winter all this pleasure came to an end, for the windows were sometimes quite frozen over. But then they would warm copper pennies on the stove, and hold the warm pennies against the frozen pane; there would be very soon a little round hole through which they could peep, and the soft bright eyes of the little boy and girl would beam through the hole at each window as they looked at each other.
El niño se llamaba Kay, y la niña, Gerda.
Their names were Kay and Gerda.
Durante el verano podĂan reunirse con sĂłlo dar un salto, en invierno habĂa que bajar muchos pisos y subir otros tantos; afuera, los copos de nieve revoloteaban en el aire.
In summer they could be together with one jump from the window, but in winter they had to go up and down the long staircase, and out through the snow before they could meet.
— Son abejas blancas que juegan en el aire — decĂa la abuela.
“See there are the white bees swarming,” said Kay’s old grandmother one day when it was snowing.
— ¿También ellas tienen una reina? — preguntaba el niño, sabiendo que las verdaderas abejas tienen.
“Have they a queen bee?” asked the little boy, for he knew that the real bees had a queen.
— ¡Claro que si!— decĂa la abuela—. Vuela en medio del grupo más denso, es la más grande de todas y jamás se queda en tierra, pues, en cuanto toca el suelo, vuelve a partir enseguida hacia las nubes. A menudo, en las noches de invierno, recorre las calles de la ciudad, mira por las ventanas y entonces los cristales se hielan de forma extraña como si se cubrieran de flores.
“To be sure they have,” said the grandmother. “She is flying there where the swarm is thickest. She is the largest of them all, and never remains on the earth, but flies up to the dark clouds. Often at midnight she flies through the streets of the town, and looks in at the windows, then the ice freezes on the panes into wonderful shapes, that look like flowers and castles.”
— ¡SĂ, sĂ, yo lo he visto! — dijeron a la vez los niños, comprobando asĂ que la abuela no mentĂa.
“Yes, I have seen them,” said both the children, and they knew it must be true.
— ¿Puede venir aquà al Reina de las Nieves? — Preguntó la niña.
“Can the Snow Queen come in here?” asked the little girl.
— ¡Que venga! — dijo el niño — La pondré sobre la estufa y se derretirá.
“Only let her come,” said the boy, “I’ll set her on the stove and then she’ll melt.”
La abuela le acariciĂł los cabellos y le contĂł otras historias.
Then the grandmother smoothed his hair and told him some more tales.
Por la noche, cuando el pequeño Kay estaba a medio desnudarse, se subiĂł a la silla que habĂa junto a la ventana y cerrando un ojo mirĂł por su pequeña mirilla redonda; en la calle, caĂan algunos copos de nieve; uno de ellos, el más grande, quedĂł al borde del cajĂłn de flores; el copo creciĂł y creciĂł y acabĂł por convertirse en una mujer, vestida con un maravilloso manto blanco que parecĂa estar hecho de millones de copos estrellados.
One evening, when little Kay was at home, half undressed, he climbed on a chair by the window and peeped out through the little hole. A few flakes of snow were falling, and one of them, rather larger than the rest, alighted on the edge of one of the flower boxes. This snow-flake grew larger and larger, till at last it became the figure of a woman, dressed in garments of white gauze, which looked like millions of starry snow-flakes linked together.
Era de una belleza cautivadora, aunque de un hielo brillante y enceguecedor y , sin embargo, tenĂa vida; sus ojos centelleaban como estrellas, mas no habĂa en ellos ni calma ni sosiego.
She was fair and beautiful, but made of ice—shining and glittering ice. Still she was alive and her eyes sparkled like bright stars, but there was neither peace nor rest in their glance.
Hizo una seña con la cabeza y, mirando hacia la ventana, levantó su mano. El niño se llevó tal susto que cayó de la silla; le pareció entonces que un gran pájaro pasaba volando delante de su ventana.
She nodded towards the window and waved her hand. The little boy was frightened and sprang from the chair; at the same moment it seemed as if a large bird flew by the window.
El dĂa siguiente fue frĂo y seco … luego vino el deshielo … y, por fin, llegĂł la primavera. Brillaba cálido el sol, comenzaban las yemas a despuntar en los árboles, construĂan sus nidos las golondrinas, se abrĂan las ventanas en las casas y los dos niños se sentaban de nuevo en su pequeño jardĂn, allá arriba, junto al canalĂłn que discurrĂa a lo largo del tejado.
On the following day there was a clear frost, and very soon came the spring. The sun shone; the young green leaves burst forth; the swallows built their nests; windows were opened, and the children sat once more in the garden on the roof, high above all the other rooms.
Las rosas florecieron aquel año en todo su esplendor; la niña habĂa aprendido un salmo que hacĂa referencia a las rosas y que le hacĂa pensar en las suyas cada vez que lo cantaba; se lo enseñó a su amigo y los dos cantaron juntos:
How beautiful the roses blossomed this summer. The little girl had learnt a hymn in which roses were spoken of, and then she thought of their own roses, and she sang the hymn to the little boy, and he sang too:—
Las rosas en el valle crecen, el Niño Jesús les habla y ellas al viento se mecen.
“Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.”
Los niños se cogĂan de la mano, besaban los capullos acariciados por la luz pura del sol de Dios y les hablaban como si el Niño JesĂşs hubiera estado allĂ.
Then the little ones held each other by the hand, and kissed the roses, and looked at the bright sunshine, and spoke to it as if the Christ-child were there.
¡QuĂ© maravillosos, aquellos dĂas de verano! ¡QuĂ© delicia estar junto a los hermosos rosales que parecĂan no cansarse nunca de dar flores!
Those were splendid summer days. How beautiful and fresh it was out among the rose-bushes, which seemed as if they would never leave off blooming.
Kay y Greda estaban sentados, mirando un álbum de animales y pájaros… sonaron las cinco en el reloj del campanario… de repente Kay exclamó:
— ¡Ay, me ha dado un pinchazo el corazón! ¡Y algo me ha entrado en el ojo!
One day Kay and Gerda sat looking at a book full of pictures of animals and birds, and then just as the clock in the church tower struck twelve, Kay said, “Oh, something has struck my heart!” and soon after, “There is something in my eye.”
La pequeña Greda tomĂł entre sus manos la cabeza da Kay; Ă©l parpadeĂł; no, no se veĂa nada.
The little girl put her arm round his neck, and looked into his eye, but she could see nothing.
— Me parece que ya ha salido — dijo Kay. Pero no, no habĂa salido.
“I think it is gone,” he said. But it was not gone;
Era precisamente una mota de polvo e cristal procedente del espejo; lo recordáis Âżverdad? El espejo del duende, el horrible espejo que hacĂa pequeño y feo todo lo que era bueno y hermoso, mientras que lo bajo y lo vil, cualquier defecto por pequeño que fuera, lo agrandaba de inmediato.
it was one of those bits of the looking-glass—that magic mirror, of which we have spoken—the ugly glass which made everything great and good appear small and ugly, while all that was wicked and bad became more visible, and every little fault could be plainly seen.
Al pobre Kay se le habĂa clavado una esquirla de cristal en su corazĂłn, que pronto se convertirĂa en un bloque de hielo.
Poor little Kay had also received a small grain in his heart, which very quickly turned to a lump of ice.
No sentĂa ya ningĂşn dolor, pero el cristal seguĂa allĂ.
He felt no more pain, but the glass was there still.
— ¿Por que lloras? — Preguntó Kay a su amiguita— Estás muy fea cuando lloras. ¡Bah! ¡Mira: esa rosa está comida por un gusano y aquella otra crece torcida! ¡Son feas, tan feas como el cajón en el que crecen!
Y de una patada arrancĂł las dos rosas.
“Why do you cry?” said he at last; “it makes you look ugly. There is nothing the matter with me now. Oh, see!” he cried suddenly, “that rose is worm-eaten, and this one is quite crooked. After all they are ugly roses, just like the box in which they stand,” and then he kicked the boxes with his foot, and pulled off the two roses.
— ¡Kay! ¿Qué haces …? — gritó la niña mirándole asustada.
Kay arrancó aún otra rosa y rápidamente se metió por la ventana dejando allì sola a la pequeña Gerda.
“Kay, what are you doing?” cried the little girl; and then, when he saw how frightened she was, he tore off another rose, and jumped through his own window away from little Gerda.
Cuando poco despuĂ©s la niña volviĂł a su lado con el álbum, Kay le dijo que aquello estaba bien para los bebĂ©s, pero no para Ă©l. Si la abuela les contaba cuentos, Ă©l siempre encontraba algĂşn motivo para burlarse y en cuanto podĂa la imitaba a sus espaldas ridiculizando sus palabras y sus gestos; la verdad es que lo hacĂa a la perfecciĂłn y todo el mundo se reĂa a carcajadas.
When she afterwards brought out the picture book, he said, “It was only fit for babies in long clothes,” and when grandmother told any stories, he would interrupt her with “but;”. Or, when he could manage it, he would get behind her chair, put on a pair of spectacles, and imitate her very cleverly, to make people laugh.
Pronto se acostumbrĂł a imitar y a burlarse de cualquiera que pasara por la calle.
By-and-by he began to mimic the speech and gait of persons in the street.
Todo lo que en los demás habĂa de singular o de poco agradable era ridiculizado por el muchacho; la gente decĂa de Ă©l:
— ¡ Qué inteligente es este chico!
Se dedicaba incluso a mortificar a la pequeña Gerda, que le querĂa con toda su alma. El cristal que le habĂa entrado en el ojo y el que se habĂa alojado en su corazĂłn eran la causa de todo.
All that was peculiar or disagreeable in a person he would imitate directly, and people said, “That boy will be very clever; he has a remarkable genius.” But it was the piece of glass in his eye, and the coldness in his heart, that made him act like this. He would even tease little Gerda, who loved him with all her heart.
Sus juegos tampoco eran a como antes: se habĂa vuelto mucho más serio. Un dĂa de invierno que caĂa una fuerte nevada, Kay sacĂł una lupa y extendiĂł una punta de su chaqueta azul para que cayeran sobre ella algunos copos.
His games, too, were quite different; they were not so childish. One winter’s day, when it snowed, he brought out a burning-glass, then he held out the tail of his blue coat, and let the snow-flakes fall upon it.
— Mira a travĂ©s de la lupa, Gerda — le dijo. Los copos aparecĂan mucho más grandes y tenĂan el aspecto de flores magnĂficas o de estrella de diez puntas; era realmente precioso.
“Look in this glass, Gerda,” said he; and she saw how every flake of snow was magnified, and looked like a beautiful flower or a glittering star.
— FĂjate que curioso— continuĂł Kay — Es más interesante que las flores de verdad. No hay en ellos el menor defecto; mientras no se funden, los copos son absolutamente perfectos.
“Is it not clever?” said Kay, “and much more interesting than looking at real flowers. There is not a single fault in it, and the snow-flakes are quite perfect till they begin to melt.”
Unos dĂas despuĂ©s, se acercĂł a Gerda con las manos enfudadas en unos gruesos guantes y con su trineo a la espalda; gritándole al oĂdo, le dijo:
— ¡Me han dado permiso para ir a jugar a la Plaza Mayor!
Soon after Kay made his appearance in large thick gloves, and with his sledge at his back. He called up stairs to Gerda, “I’ve got to leave to go into the great square, where the other boys play and ride.” And away he went.
Y hacia allĂ se marchĂł. En la plaza, los chicos más atrevido solĂan atar sus trineos a los carros de los campesinos para ser remolcados por ellos. Aquello era la mar de divertido.
In the great square, the boldest among the boys would often tie their sledges to the country people’s carts, and go with them a good way. This was capital.
Cuando estaban en pleno juego, llegó un gran trineo, completamente blanco, conducido por una persona envuelta en un abrigo de piel blanco y con un gorro de piel igualmente blanco en la cabeza; dio dos vueltas a la plaza y Kay enganchó rápidamente su pequeño trineo al que acababa de llegar; juntos, comenzaron a deslizarse por la nieve.
But while they were all amusing themselves, and Kay with them, a great sledge came by; it was painted white, and in it sat some one wrapped in a rough white fur, and wearing a white cap. The sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay fastened his own little sledge to it, so that when it went away, he followed with it.
Cogieron más velocidad y salieron de la plaza por una calle lateral; la persona que conducĂa el trineo grande volviĂł la cabeza e hizo a Kay una seña amistosa, como si ya se conocieran de antes, cada vez que Kay intentaba desenganchar su trineo, el desconocido volvĂa la cabeza y Kay se quedaba inmĂłvil en su asiento; franquearon asĂ las puertas de la ciudad y se alejaron.
It went faster and faster right through the next street, and then the person who drove turned round and nodded pleasantly to Kay, just as if they were acquainted with each other, but whenever Kay wished to loosen his little sledge the driver nodded again, so Kay sat still, and they drove out through the town gate.
La nieve empezĂł a caer tan copiosamente que el niño apenas podĂa ver a un palmo por delante de su nariz; intentĂł aflojar la cuerda que le mantenĂa unido al trineo grande, pero no lo consiguiĂł: estaban bien enganchados y corrĂan ta veloces como el viento.
Then the snow began to fall so heavily that the little boy could not see a hand’s breadth before him, but still they drove on; then he suddenly loosened the cord so that the large sled might go on without him, but it was of no use, his little carriage held fast, and away they went like the wind.
GritĂł con todas sus fuerzas, mas nadie le oyĂł; la nieve seguĂa cayendo y el trineo avanzaba tan rápido que parecĂa volar, aunque a veces daba brincos, como si saltase sobre zanjas y piedras.
Then he called out loudly, but nobody heard him, while the snow beat upon him, and the sledge flew onwards. Every now and then it gave a jump as if it were going over hedges and ditches.
Kay estaba tremendamente asustado, quiso rezar el Padrenuestro y sĂłlo consiguiĂł recordar la tabla de multiplicar.
The boy was frightened, and tried to say a prayer, but he could remember nothing but the multiplication table.
Los copos caĂan cada vez más gruesos y parecĂan ya gallinas blancas; de pronto, se hicieron a un lado, el gran trineo se detuvo y la persona que lo conducia se levantĂł; su abrigo y su gorro eran tan sĂłlo de nieve. Se trataba de una mujer alta y esbelta, de blancura deslumbrante: La Reina de las Nieves.
The snow-flakes became larger and larger, till they appeared like great white chickens. All at once they sprang on one side, the great sledge stopped, and the person who had driven it rose up. The fur and the cap, which were made entirely of snow, fell off, and he saw a lady, tall and white, it was the Snow Queen.
— Hemos hecho un largo camino — dijo ella — ÂżTienes frĂo? Ven, mĂ©tete bajo mi abrigo de piel de oso.
Le montĂł en su trineo, extendiĂł su abrigo sobre Ă©l y Kay creyĂł desaparecer entre un montĂłn de nieve.
“We have driven well,” said she, “but why do you tremble? here, creep into my warm fur.” Then she seated him beside her in the sledge, and as she wrapped the fur round him he felt as if he were sinking into a snow drift.
— ÂżTodavĂa tienes frĂo? — le preguntĂł, besándole en la frente.
“Are you still cold,” she asked, as she kissed him on the forehead.
¡Ay!, aquel beso era más frĂo que el hielo y le penetrĂł hasta el corazĂłn que, por otra parte, era ya casi un bloque de hielo. Le pareciĂł que iba a morir… pero esa sensaciĂłn no durĂł más que un instante, despuĂ©s dejĂł de sentir el frĂo intenso que le rodeaba.
The kiss was colder than ice; it went quite through to his heart, which was already almost a lump of ice; he felt as if he were going to die, but only for a moment; he soon seemed quite well again, and did not notice the cold around him.
— ¡Mi trineo! ¡No olvides mi trineo!
Eso fue lo primero en que pensĂł. La Reina de las Nieves lo atĂł a la espalda de una de las gallinas blancas que volaban tras ellos
“My sledge! don’t forget my sledge,” was his first thought, and then he looked and saw that it was bound fast to one of the white chickens, which flew behind him with the sledge at its back.
y a continuaciĂłn besĂł a Kay una vez más y estĂ© olvidĂł a la pequeña Gerda, a la abuela y a todos los que habĂan quedado en su casa.
The Snow Queen kissed little Kay again, and by this time he had forgotten little Gerda, his grandmother, and all at home.
— No te volveré a besar — le dijo ella— Un beso más te mataria.
“Now you must have no more kisses,” she said, “or I should kiss you to death.”
Kay la mirĂł; era hermosa, no podĂa imaginar un rostro que irradiara una inteligencia y un encanto semejantes; no tenĂa aquel aspecto de hielo, como cuando le hizo una seña a travĂ©s de la ventana;
Kay looked at her, and saw that she was so beautiful, he could not imagine a more lovely and intelligent face; she did not now seem to be made of ice, as when he had seen her through his window, and she had nodded to him.
a sus ojos, era perfecta y no le inspiraba ya ningĂşn temor; le contĂł que sabĂa calcular de memoria, incluso con fracciones, que concĂa perfectamente la geografĂa del paĂs y el nĂşmero de sus habitantes; mientras todo eso le contaba, ella no dejaba de sonreĂr. No obstante, Kay tenĂa la impresiĂłn de que todo cuanto sabĂa no era suficiente. MirĂł hacia arriba, el espacio infinito; la Reina de las Nieves lo tomĂł en sus brazos y juntos ascendieron por el aire; atravesaron oscuros nubarrones, donde el rugir del huracán evocaba en su mente el recuerdo de antiguas canciones;
In his eyes she was perfect, and he did not feel at all afraid. He told her he could do mental arithmetic, as far as fractions, and that he knew the number of square miles and the number of inhabitants in the country. And she always smiled so that he thought he did not know enough yet, and she looked round the vast expanse as she flew higher and higher with him upon a black cloud, while the storm blew and howled as if it were singing old songs.
volaron por encima de bosques y de lagos, de mares y montañas; debajo, silbaba el viento, graznaban las cornejas y aullaban los lobos sobre un fondo de resplandeciente nieve. Arriba, en lo alto, una luna grande y fulgurante iluminaba el cielo y Kay la conteplĂł durante toda aquella larga noche de invierno. Al llegar el dĂa, dormĂa a los pies de la Reina de las Nieves.
They flew over woods and lakes, over sea and land; below them roared the wild wind; the wolves howled and the snow crackled; over them flew the black screaming crows, and above all shone the moon, clear and bright,—and so Kay passed through the long winter’s night, and by day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen.
Tercer episodio. El JardĂn de la Hechicera
Third Story: The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Could Conjure
¿Qué fue de la pequeña Gerda cuand Kay desapareció?
But how fared little Gerda during Kay’s absence?
ÂżY dĂłnde estaba Ă©ste? Nadie sabĂa nada, nadie supo dar noticias suyas. Lo Ăşnico que sus amigos puideron decir era que lo habĂan visto enganchar su pequeño trineo a otro, grande y magnĂfico, y que internándose por las calles habĂan salido de la ciudad.
What had become of him, no one knew, nor could any one give the slightest information, excepting the boys, who said that he had tied his sledge to another very large one, which had driven through the street, and out at the town gate.
Nadie sabĂa dĂłnde podĂa encontrarse y todos los que le concĂan quedaron profundamente afectados por su desapariciĂłn, en especial la pequeña Gerda, que lloro y llorĂł durante mucho tiempo; poco despuĂ©s, se empezĂł a decir que Kay habĂa muerto, que se habĂa ahogado en el rĂo que pasaba junto a los muros de la ciudad. ¡Oh, quĂ© largos y sombrĂos fueron aquellos dĂas de invierno!
Nobody knew where it went; many tears were shed for him, and little Gerda wept bitterly for a long time. She said she knew he must be dead; that he was drowned in the river which flowed close by the school. Oh, indeed those long winter days were very dreary.
Por fin llegó la primavera y con ella los cálidos rayos del sol.
But at last spring came, with warm sunshine.
—Kay ha muerto y ya nunca volverá — decĂa la pequeña Gerda.
“Kay is dead and gone,” said little Gerda.
—No lo creo— dijo el sol
“I don’t believe it,” said the sunshine.
—Ha muerto y ya nunca volverá — les dijo a las golondrinas.
“He is dead and gone,” she said to the sparrows.
— No lo creemos —respondieron ellas; al final, tambiĂ©n Gerda terminĂł por creer que Kay no habĂa muerto.
“We don’t believe it,” they replied; and at last little Gerda began to doubt it herself.
— Me pondrĂ© mis zapatos nuevos — dijo una mañana —, los rojos, que Kay nunca llegĂł a conocer, me acercarĂ© al rĂo y le preguntarĂ© por Ă©l.
“I will put on my new red shoes,” she said one morning, “those that Kay has never seen, and then I will go down to the river, and ask for him.”
SaliĂł muy temprano de su casa, dio un beso a la abuela, que dormĂa todavĂa y , calzada con sus zapatitos rojos, saliĂł sola de la ciudad dirigiĂ©ndose hacia el rĂo.
It was quite early when she kissed her old grandmother, who was still asleep; then she put on her red shoes, and went quite alone out of the town gates toward the river.
— ¿Es cierto que te has llevado a mi amigo? Te regalaré mis zapatos rojos si me lo devuelves.
“Is it true that you have taken my little playmate away from me?” said she to the river. “I will give you my red shoes if you will give him back to me.”
Le pareciĂł que las aguas le hacĂan una señal extraña; cogiĂł entonces sus zapatos, lo que para ella era más querido, y los arrojĂł al rĂo; cayeron muy cerca de la orilla y las aguas los llevaron de nuevo hacia tierra, el lugar en que Gerda se encontraba; parecĂa que el rĂo, no teniendo al pequeño Kay, no querĂa aceptar la ofrenda que la niña le ofrecĂa;
And it seemed as if the waves nodded to her in a strange manner. Then she took off her red shoes, which she liked better than anything else, and threw them both into the river, but they fell near the bank, and the little waves carried them back to the land, just as if the river would not take from her what she loved best, because they could not give her back little Kay.
como pensĂł que no los habĂa tirado suficientemente lejos, se subiĂł a una barca que habĂa entre las cañas y desde allĂ los arrojĂł de nuevo. Pero la barca no estaba bien amarrada y los movimientos de Gerda la hicieron apartarse de la orilla.
But she thought the shoes had not been thrown out far enough. Then she crept into a boat that lay among the reeds, and threw the shoes again from the farther end of the boat into the water, but it was not fastened. And her movement sent it gliding away from the land.
Cuando se dio cuenta de lo que ocurrĂa, quiso volver atrás, pero ya era demasiado tarde: la barca se encontraba a varios metros de la orilla y se deslizaba rĂo abajo impulsada por la corriente.
When she saw this she hastened to reach the end of the boat, but before she could so it was more than a yard from the bank, and drifting away faster than ever.
La niña se asustĂł y echĂł a llorar; sĂłlo los gorriones podĂan escucharla, mas no les era posible llevarla de nueva a tierra; los pajarillos volaron a su alrededor y trataban de consolarlar cantando: «¡AquĂ estamos! ¡AquĂ estamos!»
Then little Gerda was very much frightened, and began to cry, but no one heard her except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land, but they flew along by the shore, and sang, as if to comfort her, “Here we are! Here we are!”
La barca seguĂa avanzando, empujada por la corriente; la pequeña Gerda se quedĂł inmĂłvil con sus pies descalzos; sus zapatitos rojos flotaban tras ella, fuera de su alcance, pues la barca navegaba más deprisa.
The boat floated with the stream; little Gerda sat quite still with only her stockings on her feet; the red shoes floated after her, but she could not reach them because the boat kept so much in advance.
A ambos lados del rĂo el paisaje era bellĂsimo: llamativas flores y viejĂsimos árboles se destacaban sobre un fondo de colines donde pastaban ovejas y vacas; pero ni un solo ser humano se vaĂa en parte alguna.
The banks on each side of the river were very pretty. There were beautiful flowers, old trees, sloping fields, in which cows and sheep were grazing, but not a man to be seen.
«Quizás el rĂo me conduzca hasta el pequeño Kay», se dijo a sĂ misma, y ese pensamiento la puso de mejor humor; se levantĂł y durante varias horas contemplĂł las verdes y encantadoras riberas;
Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kay, thought Gerda, and then she became more cheerful, and raised her head, and looked at the beautiful green banks; and so the boat sailed on for hours.
llegĂł asĂ junto a un gran huerto de cerezos en el que se alzaba una casita con un tejado de paja y extrañas ventanas pintadas de rojo y de azul; ante la casa, dos soldados de madera presentaban armas a quienes pasaban por el rĂo.
At length she came to a large cherry orchard, in which stood a small red house with strange red and blue windows. It had also a thatched roof, and outside were two wooden soldiers, that presented arms to her as she sailed past.
Gerda les llamĂł, creyendo que eran soldados de verdad, pero, naturalmente, sin recibir respuesta; llegĂł muy cerca de donde ellos se encontraban, pues el rĂo impulsaba directamente la barca hacia la orilla.
Gerda called out to them, for she thought they were alive, but of course they did not answer. And as the boat drifted nearer to the shore, she saw what they really were.
Gerda griĂł entonces con más fuerza y una mujer apareciĂł en la puerta: era una vieja que se apoyaba en un bastĂłn y se cubrĂa la cabeza con un sombrero de alas anchas pintado con bellĂsimas flores.
Then Gerda called still louder, and there came a very old woman out of the house, leaning on a crutch. She wore a large hat to shade her from the sun, and on it were painted all sorts of pretty flowers.
— ¡Pobre niñita! — exclamĂł la vieja— ÂżCĂłmo has venido por este rĂo de tan fuerte corriente? ÂżCĂłmo has recorrido tan largo camino a travĂ©s del ancho mundo?
Ă‘a vieja se adentrĂł en el agua, enganchĂł la barca con su bastĂłn, tirĂł de Ă©l y llevĂł a Gerda hasta la orilla.
“You poor little child,” said the old woman, “how did you manage to come all this distance into the wide world on such a rapid rolling stream?” And then the old woman walked in the water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to land, and lifted Gerda out.
La niña se sintiĂł feliz de estar otra vez en tierra firme, aunque tenĂa un cierto miedo de la vieja desconocida.
And Gerda was glad to feel herself on dry ground, although she was rather afraid of the strange old woman.
Ésta le dijo :
— Ven a contarme quiĂ©n eres y cĂłmo has lleagdo hastas aquĂ.
“Come and tell me who you are,” said she, “and how came you here.”
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