From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. Laval
Part 1 – Magnificent Stories, Stories of Animals, Anecdotes (Cuentos maravillosos, Cuentos de animales, Anécdotas)
028. The Lion and Man (El León Y El Hombre)
An old Lion was [lying down] in his cave, situated between the highest crags of a mountain. The young Lion, his son, observed him with great respects, and he said to him:
Father, will there be in the whole wide world another being who is braver than Your Grace? (This is how children used to treat their fathers).
Yes, son -the old lion replied.
How can that be, father, when I, who am your son, have no fear of anyone, nor respect anyone other than Your Grace?
Don’t be fooled, son, for there is a very fierce animal in the world that defeats everyone; if not for good, then for evil they will hand to you; that is why I, who was the king of the world, in order to not see myself getting defeated, have had to hide myself between these crags of these mountains.
[Nguyen: original text is “si no es por bien, por mal se han de entregar;”]
Give me your blessing, father, and with your permission I will go fight this animal and strip him of his control over the world. He won’t be so brave [anymore]! Other than Your Grace, what animal is so big that I wouldn’t dare attack?
He’s not so big, son; but he is more cunning than all others and is called Man. As long as I live, never will I give you permission to go fight this animal.
Whether he wanted or not, the young Lion had to stay [put], grumbling and sharpening his claws.
The old Lion was sick and died soon after.
After the young Lion mourned his father and left him covered with some branches that he went out to search for, he thought to himself: –Now I don’t have to stay here and not fight Man; and he left the mountain to go to the valley to search for him.
The first which he encountered in one of the meadows that were formed in the gorges of the mountain range was a haggard Horse.
Bah! -he said- this one won’t dare fight me. Are you Man? -he shouted at him.
I’m not Man, sir.
Who is Man, then?
Man, sir, lives further down below, and is a very evil and very brave animal; he has me completely subjugated, and because I did not want to yield to him, he put irons in my mouth, tied me up with straps, and with some very sharp spurs that he placed on his heels, he climbed on me and began to violent beat me and drive the spurs into my sides, until I had to submit to his wishes and take him to wherever he wanted, and [afterward] he immediately sent me off to these corners, where I almost died from starvation.
That happens to you because you’re a fool. I am looking for Man because I want to see if he is capable of fighting against me.
Further down below, where the pastures of the mountain began, he saw behind a dry-stone wall the back of an ox with its horns. –This is Man -he thought,- and what enormous claws that he has, but [they’re] on the head, meanwhile I have mine in the hands. Let’s see if he is Man. -And with a leap he was on top of the wall. –Are you Man? -he shouted.
The Ox began to tremble out of fear, and raising his voice as best he could, he replied:
I am not Man, little sir. Man lives much further below still.
You want to make me believe that it’s not you and [yet] you are trembling with fear. Tell me, do you dare fight against me? What good is that enormous body of yours and those defenses that you have on your head if not to triumph over brave beings like myself? Fight me now, if you dare!
No, sir, for God’s sake! I’m not a fighter nor am I brave! You see, Man has tamed me completely, and once, when I was younger and wanted to revolt, he lassoed me up, threw me on the ground and branded my skin with a hot iron, which still stings me [to this day]; don’t you see, Your Grace, the mark, here, on my hind legs?… and he did even worse things to me, for which I’m embarrassed [to no ends]…. Then he yoked me and made me pull the cart by hitting me with the cattle prod; and here he has me, sir, suffering until Man decides to kill me for food.
So big and yet so… cowardly! You’re of no use. I’m leaving. -And he continued down the mountain in search of Man.
He could already make out the irrigated plains, and at the end of the gorge he saw smoke, and later, a ranch belonging to a farmer, and he approached it without making any noise.
The farmer’s Dog sniffed and charged out barking at him. The Lion sat down to wait for the dog and thought to himself: –This must be Man, for they had told me that he was not very big; this dwarf won’t defeat me!; he’s nothing but noise, and won’t dare to attack me.
The dog barked at him from a distance.
Let’s see here, Man! Be quiet for a bit, won’t you? Are you Man?
I am not Man; but my owner is Man.
That’s how it seemed to me, because the way you are, you won’t stand even my first attack. Go and tell your owner that I have come to challenge him; I want to see if what they say is true, that he is the bravest being in the world.
The Dog went to the ranch and then returned with Man, who brought along a loaded shotgun.
Bah! -said the Lion- how strange Man is, he does not keep his head down like we do. How will he eat? walk straight! Bah! I also sit on my hind legs to fight with my free hands, how can he overtake me?… Are you Man? -the Lion asked when he saw him approaching.
I am Man -the farmer answered him.
I have come to fight against you to find out who among the two of us is the bravest.
That’s all fine, -Man told him;- but in order for me to fight you will have to get on my nerve; insult me first and then I’ll let you know.
The Lion began to call him a bandit, robber, coward, thief, abuser, until he got tired from insulting him.
Now it is my turn -said Man.- Here is an insult for you; and he fired his shotgun, which broke one of the Lion’s legs.
Ow, ow, ow-ito! -growled the Lion; –Mr. Man, I won’t fight you anymore, -and he ran like hell back to the mountain to hide himself among the crags of the summit, thinking thus: –My deceased father said to not fight against Man; if he broke my leg with a single insult, what would be of me if he comes himself?
And so he hid himself and never ventured down from the mountains again.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Carrilano – (Chile) railway, railroad; railway laborer
Carril – (transport) lane, rail (for trains); (mark left on the ground) track, rut
Albañil – (profession) construction worker, builder, bricklayer (who lays bricks)
Taba – (anatomy) ankle bone; (game) jacks (plural), jackstones, knucklebones — (could be “estaba”)
Risco – (geography) crag, cliff
Encumbrar – (to put in a higher position) to raise, to elevate; (to praise) to extol, to exalt
Encumbrarse – (to tower) to rise; (to become vain) to become conceited
Respetos – (expression of esteem) respects
Respeto – (consideration) respect; (apprehension) fear
Enroscar – (to tighten) to screw in (screw), to screw on (lid); (to roll up) to coil, to wind
Enroscarse – (to twist around) to coil up, to coil around; (to huddle oneself) to curl up
Refunfuñar – (to complain) to grumble, to growl, to gripe, to grouch
Uñas – (anatomy) nail, fingernail (on the hand), toenail (on the foot); (animal anatomy) hoof, claw, stinger (of a scorpion); (anchor) fluke; (music) (Mexico) plectrum; (tool) crowbar, claw (of a hammer)
Tapar – (to cover up) to cover, to block, to hide, to fill, to wrap up; (to close) to put the lid on, to put the top on; (to obstruct) to block; (to conceal) to cover up; (dentistry) (Mexico) (South America) to fill
Cordillera – (geography) mountain range; mountain chain
Suprimir – (to stop or remove) to eliminate, to remove (obstacles), to cut out (from a whole, a list or a group of things), to abolish (a law, tax or practice), to lift (sanctions, a ban or a blockade), to suppress (opposition or protests); (to erase) to delete, to cut out
Tenue – (dim) faint, weak; (slender) fine, thin; (ethereal) tenuous, insubstantial; (dull) simple, plain
Carecer – (to be without; used with “de”) to lack, to not have
Imprenta – (establishment) printing house, printer’s; (machine) printing press, press; (activity) printing
Vega – (area of flat land) meadow, valley, fertile plain; (tobacco fields) (Caribbean) tobacco plantation
Cajón – (furniture) drawer; (big box) crate; (pall) (Latin America) coffin, casket; (geography) (South America) ravine
Aguantar – (to withstand) to bear, to take, to support, to hold, to hold up; (to tolerate) to put up with, to endure, to stand, to bear; (to stifle) to hold (breath), to hold back; (to endure) to last; (to carry) to hold; (to wait) (Latin America) to wait for; (to wisthstand) to hang on, to hold on; (to endure) to last; (to wait) to hold on, to hang on
Dao – damage, harm
Talón – (anatomy) heel; (footwear) heel; (finance) (Spain) check, cheque; (finance) (Latin America) stub, counterfoil; (automobile) rim
Costilla – (anatomy) rib; (culinary) chop (thick cut of meat), cutlet (thick cut of meat), spare rib (bone with little meat); (nautical) rib; (supporting piece) rib; (female spouse) other half, better half, wife
Antojarse – (to have a strong desire for) to feel like, to have a craving for, to want; (literary) (to appear to be) to seem
Pirca – (architecture) (South America) dry-stone wall
Güey – (form of address) dude, man, mate; (man) guy, dude; (fool) idiot (probably buey – cow)
Cacho – (small chunk) bit, piece; (used as intensifier) damn, bloody; (anatomy) (Latin America) horn; (container) (Latin America) drinking horn; (dice cup) (South America) shaker; (game) (South America) cacho
Tiritar – to shiver, to tremble
Cobardía – cowardice
Guapo – should mean “brave” in the context of this story
Amansar – (to domesticate) to tame, to break in (horses); (to calm) to calm down, to soothe
Amansarse – (to get calmed) to calm down
Sublevar – (to incite to rebellion) to stir up to rebellion, to rouse to revolt; (to rile) to infuriate
Sublevarse – (to rise up in rebellion) to rise up, to revolt, to rebel; (to incense) to inflame
Lazo – (decorative knot) bow; (ligature) knot; (strip of fabric) ribbon; (rope) lasso, lariat; (hunting) snare, trap; (link) bond, tie; (marriage symbol) (Mexico) wedding cord
Pellejo – (outer layer of body) skin (of animal or human), hide (of an animal); (part of the skin) piece of skin, hangnail (on fingernail); (outer covering) skin (of a fruit or vegetable); (leather container) wineskin; (figurative) (life) skin; (drunk man) drunk
Escocer – (to be painful) to sting, to smart; (to wound) to hurt
Vergüenza – (ignominy) embarrassment, disgrace; (indignity) shame; (bashfulness) shyness
Yugo – (harness) yoke; (oppression) yoke
Picana – (pointed stick) (South America) cattle prod, goad; (torture instrument) electric prod
Padacer – to suffer from; (to suffer through) to endure, to put up with; (to worry about) to suffer
Vilote – (Southern Cone) coward
Divisar – (to detect) to make out, to spot, to spy, to sight
Regar – (to drench with water) to water, to irrigate, to hose down; (geography) to flow through; (to cause to flow) to spill; (to fail) (Mexico) to screw up; (to sprinkle) to scatter; (to disseminate) (Latin America) to spread
Regarse – (to bathe) (Latin America) to shower, to take a shower; (to disperse) (Central America) to scatter; (to become cross) (Caribbean) to get angry
Acao de – acabo de? – just, finished, just finished
Inquilino – (renter) tenant, lessee; (agriculture) (Chile) tenant farmer
Espacio – (unoccupied area) space, room; (astronomy) space; (surface) space, area; (in text) space; (in time) space; (radio, television) slot, program
Cerco – (military) siege; (mark) ring; (crown of light) halo; (barrier) (Latin America) fence, hedge; (technical) (hoop) rim; (architecture) frame; (circle) group
Inquilino – (renter) tenant, lessee; (agriculture) (Chile) tenant farmer; tenant, renter, occupant, lodger
Olfatear – (to nose) to sniff, to smell, to scent (a prey); (to mouse into) to pry into, to poke one’s nose into
Ladrar – (to emit barks) to bark; (to shout) to bark
Alharaca – fuss
Trenzar – (to interweave) to braid, to plait;
Trenzarse – (to get entangled with; used “en”) (Latin America) to get involved, to get embroiled; (to get into a fight) (River Plate) to get into a fight, to come to blows
Desafiar – (to invite to participate) to challenge, to dare; (to confront) to defy
Agachar – (to move down) to lower, to bend, to bow, to hang, to duck
Agacharse – (to lower oneself) to crouch down, to bend down, to duck, to squat; (to give in) to submit
Ventaja – (benefit) advantage; (in a competition) lead; (job benefit) perk
Retar – (to dare) to challenge; (to scold) (Southern Cone) to tell off
Saltear – (culinary) to sauté, to stir-fry; (to plunder) to hold up, to rob
Cobarde – (person who lacks courage) coward; (faint-hearted) cowardly, timid
Enroscar – (to tighten) to screw in (screw), to screw on (lid); (to roll up) to coil, to wind
Enroscarse – (to twist around) to coil up, to coil around; (to huddle oneself) to curl up
Cumbre – (geography) summit, top, peak; (pinnacle) height, peak; (convention) summit; (outstanding) most important, high
Taita – (father) (Latin America) daddy, dad; (slang) (thug) (River Plate) thug