067. The Rooster And The Icicle (El Gallo Y El Carámbano)
One beautiful winter morning when there was lots of sunshine but [also] very cold because of the frost that had developed the night before, a very presumptuous rooster who loved to show off [and make a fool of himself] was wandering about from one place to another. It was then that he stopped with an arrogant air on top of a large icicle which was hanging from the banks of a stream. Suddenly, the icicle broke and the rooster slipped and was trapped in the middle of the ice, breaking a leg [of his] as he struggled to escape. The regretful rooster thought that he would never be able to get out, so he said to the icicle:
Icicle, why did you break my leg?
Little rooster -replied the icicle-, it was not I who broke your leg; the sun is much stronger than I am, and by melting me, it had caused you to fall and your leg to break.
Sun -said the little rooster-, why are you so strong that you melt the icicle and the icicle [in turn] breaks my leg?
Stronger than I am is the cloud, which covers me -answered the sun.
Cloud -said the little rooster-, why are you so strong that you cover the sun, with the sun melting the icicle, and the icicle breaking my leg?
Stronger than I am is the wind, who carries me [from here to there] -replied the cloud.
Wind -said the little rooster-, are you so strong that you carry the cloud away, with the cloud covering the sun, and the sun melting the icicle, then the icicle breaking my leg?
Stronger [than I am] is the wall that stops me -replied the wind.
Wall -said the little rooster-, are you so strong that you stopped the wind, the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Much strong [than I am] is the rat, which bore a hole in me -answered the wall.
Rat -said the little rooster-, are you so strong that you bore a hole in the wall, the wall which stops the wind, the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Stronger [than I am] is the cat, who eats me -said the mouse.
Cat -said the little rooster-, why are you so strong that you eat the rat, the rat which bores a hole in the wall, the wall that stops the wind [in its track], the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Stronger [than I am] is the stick, which can kill me -replied the cat.
Stick -said the little rooster-, why are you so strong that you [can] kill the cat, the cat that eats the rat, the rat which bores a hole in the wall, the wall that stops the wind [in its track], the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Stronger than I am is the axe, which cuts me [in half] -answered the stick.
Axe -said the little rooster-, why are you strong that you [can] cut down the stick, the stick that [can] kill the cat, the cat that eats the rat, the rat which bores a hole in the wall, the wall that stops the wind [in its track], the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Stronger than I am is the blacksmith, who crushed me [into shape] -answered the axe.
Blacksmith -said the little rooster-, are you so strong that you crushed the axe [into shape], the axe that cuts the stick [in half], the stick that [can] kill the cat, the cat that eats the rat, the rat which bores a hole in the wall, the wall that stops the wind [in its track], the [same] wind which carries the cloud [away], the [very] cloud that covers the sun, the [strong] sun that melts the icicle, and the icicle that breaks my leg?
Death is much stronger than me, for it kills me and can do anything that it wants -replied the blacksmith.
And that is true because death is the end of all power and strength in the world.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Agujerear – to make holes in, to pierce
Arroyo – (brook) stream
Carámbano – icicle
Compungido – (regretful) contrite, remorseful
Derretir – to melt, to thaw
Forcejeo – struggle
Helada – frost
Herrero – blacksmith
Hielo – ice
Invierno – winter
Lucirse – (to make a spectacle of oneself) to make a fool of oneself; to excel, to shine
Machar – to crush, to pound
Pata – leg, paw, foot
Presumido – conceited, boastful, vain
Quebrarse – (to break) to crack
Reponer – to respond, to reply
Resbalar – to slip, to slide
Roto – broken (past participle of romper)
Tapar – to cover, to block