El viejo arce y el abeto

The Old Maple and the Fir

Era Nochebuena. La gente corra de aqu para all cargada de paquetes. Se oan risas, y unos a otros se llamaban a voces mientras se abran camino entre el gento. Por encima del camino, los largos brazos de las ramas de un viejo arce se extendan hacia el cielo. El rbol se zarandeaba y gema mientras los fuertes vientos le doblaban las ramas hacia el suelo.

It was the day before Christmas. People rushed up and down the path carrying bundles in their arms or over their shoulders. They laughed and called to each other as they pushed their way through the crowds. Above the path, the long arms of an ancient maple tree reached upward to the sky. It swayed and moaned as strong winds grasped its branches and bent them toward the earth.

Algo ms all, se oy una risa altanera, y un hermoso abeto se extendi y acical las gruesas ramas verdes, dejando caer una fina y reluciente lluvia de nieve. -Creo -dijo el abeto con voz petulante- que deberas esforzarte ms por estar quieto. Ya ests bastante feo habiendo perdido tantas hojas. Si te sigues moviendo, no tardars en quedar pelado.

Down below a haughty laugh sounded, and a lovely fir tree stretched and preened its thick green branches, sending a fine spray of snow shimmering downward to the ground. I should think, said the fir in a high smug voice, that youd try a little harder to stand still. Goodness knows youre ugly enough with the leaves youve already lost. If you move around anymore, youll soon be quite bare.

-Ya lo s -repuso el viejo arce-. Todo se ha ataviado con sus mejores galas para celebrar el nacimiento de Jess. Desde aqu veo los adornos que resplandecen en cada esquina. Y ayer unos hombres se acercaron y colocaron unas luces de lo ms brillantes y bonitas en todos los rboles del camino; excepto en m, claro. El arce dej escapar un suspiro, y un copo de nieve derretido en forma de lgrima descendi por su nudoso tronco. -Por supuesto! Qu esperabas, que te pusieran luces para hacer ms evidente tu fealdad? -dijo el abeto con una sonrisita burlona. -Creo que tienes razn -repuso el viejo arce con tristeza-. Ojal encontrara un sitio donde esconderme hasta que pasen los festejos, pero aqu llamo la atencin; soy lo nico feo entre tanta belleza. Ojal me talaran dijo lamentndose. -Mira, yo no te deseo ningn mal -expres el abeto-, pero eres un adefesio. Quizs nos vendra mejor a todos que te cortaran. Una vez ms, el abeto extendi sus bellas y gruesas ramas. -Deberas guardar esas tres hojas que te quedan -aadi-. As no te quedars pelado del todo.

I know, answered the old maple. From here I can see the decorations shining on each street corner. And yesterday some men came and put the brightest, loveliest lights on every tree along the pathexcept me, of course. He sighed softly, and a flake of snow melted in the form of a teardrop and ran down his gnarled trunk. Oh, indeed! And did you expect theyd put lights upon you so your ugliness would stand out even more? smirked the fir. I guess youre right, replied the old maple in a sad voice. If there were only somewhere I could hide until after the celebrations were over, but here I stand, the only ugly thing among all this beauty. If only they would come and chop me down, he sighed sorrowfully. Well, I dont wish you any ill, replied the fir, but you are an eyesore. Perhaps it would be better for us all if they did come and chop you down. Once again he stretched his lovely thick branches. You might try to hang onto those three small leaves you still have. At least you wouldnt be completely bare.

-No sabes cmo me esfuerzo -repuso gimiendo el arce-. Cada otoo me digo: Este ao no perder ninguna hoja, sea cual sea la causa, pero siempre viene alguien que por lo visto las necesita ms que yo. El arce suspir una vez ms. -Te dije que no le dieras tantas a ese nio sucio que vende peridicos -dijo el abeto-. Y hasta bajaste un poco las ramas para que las alcanzara. No me digas que no te avis.

Oh, Ive tried so hard, cried the old maple. Each fall I say to myself, This year I wont give up a single leaf, no matter what the cause, but someone always comes along who seems to need them more than I. He sighed once again. I told you not to give so many to that dirty little paper boy, said the fir. Why, you even lowered your branches a little bit, so that he could reach them. You cant say I didnt warn you.

-Desde luego -repuso el arce-. Pero mira lo contento que se puso con ellas. Le o decir que arrancara algunas para su madre invlida. -Bah, todos tenan buenas intenciones -dijo el abeto con tono burln-. Como aquella muchacha que pint hojas para su fiesta! Hojas tuyas! -Se llev muchas, verdad? pregunt el viejo arce esbozando una sonrisa. Justo en ese momento, sopl por el sendero un viento fro, y un gorrioncillo cay a los pies del viejo arce, temblando hasta tal punto de fro que no poda levantar las alas. El viejo rbol lo observ compasivo, y desprendi sus ltimas tres hojas. Las doradas hojas revolotearon hasta el suelo y cayeron suavemente sobre el pajarillo que tiritaba. El calor de las hojas le brind abrigo.

Yes, you did, the old maple replied. But they made him so happy. I heard him say he would pick some for his invalid mother. Oh, they all had good causes, mocked the fir. That young girl, for instancecolored leaves for her party. Indeed! They were your leaves! She took a lot, didnt she? said the old maple, and he seemed to smile. Just then a cold wind blew down the path and a tiny brown bird fell to the ground at the foot of the old maple and lay there shivering, too cold to lift its wings. The old maple looked down in pity and then he quickly let go of his last three leaves. The golden leaves fluttered down and settled softly over the shivering little bird, and it lay quietly under the warmth of them.

-Lo hiciste! -chill el abeto-. Ya regalaste todas tus hojas! Por tu culpa, esta Navidad nuestro camino ser lo ms feo de la ciudad! El viejo arce se qued callado, y extendi las ramas a fin de recoger tantos copos de nieve como pudiera para que no cayeran sobre el pajarillo. El joven abeto se volvi hacia el otro lado con ira. Entonces observ a un pintor sentado en silencio a unos metros del sendero, ocupado con sus largos pinceles y el lienzo. Su indumentaria estaba vieja y rada, y tena en el rostro una expresin de tristeza. Pensaba en su familia y en la Navidad vaca y sin risas que tendra, pues en los ltimos meses no haba vendido un solo cuadro.

Now youve done it! shrieked the fir. Youve given away every single leaf! Christmas morning youll make our path the ugliest sight in the whole city! The old maple said nothing. Instead he stretched out his branches to gather what snowflakes he could that they might not fall on the tiny bird. The young fir turned away in anger. It was then he noticed a painter sitting quietly a few feet from the path, intent upon his long brushes and his canvas. His clothes were old and tattered, and his face wore a sad expression. He was thinking of his loved ones and the empty, cheerless Christmas morning they would face, for he had sold not a single painting in the last months.

Pero el joven rbol no reparaba en ello. Por el contrario, volvindose hacia el viejo arce, dijo con voz arrogante: -Por lo menos aparta de m lo ms que puedas esas ramas peladas. Me estn pintando, y tu fealdad va a estropear el fondo. -Voy a intentarlo -repuso el viejo arce, levantando las ramas al mximo. Cuando el pintor recogi el caballete y se march, era casi de noche. El joven abeto estaba cansado y enojado de tanto acicalarse y posar. La maana del da de Navidad, el abeto se despert tarde, y mientras sacuda orgulloso sus magnficas ramas para quitarse la nieve, se qued sorprendido al observar un enorme gento que rodeaba al viejo arce expresando vivamente admiracin mientras tomaba distancia y miraba hacia arriba. Hasta los transentes que pasaban apresurados por el camino no podan menos que detenerse por un momento a mirar. -Qu ser? -se pregunt el orgulloso abeto, alzando tambin la vista para ver si la punta del viejo arce se habra quebrado durante la noche.

But the little tree didnt see this. Instead he turned back to the old maple and said in a haughty voice, At least keep those bare branches as far away from me as possible. Im being painted and your hideousness will mar the background. Ill try, replied the old maple. And he raised his branches as high as possible. It was almost dark when the painter picked up his easel and left. And the little fir was tired and cross from all his preening and posing. Christmas morning he awoke late, and as he proudly shook away the snow from his lovely branches, he was amazed to see a huge crowd of people surrounding the old maple, oohing and ahhing as they stood back and gazed upward. Even those hurrying along the path had to stop for a moment before they went on. Whatever could it be? thought the haughty fir, and he too looked up to see if perhaps the top of the old maple had been broken off during the night.

En ese preciso momento, el viento arranc de las manos un diario a chiquillo vendedor de peridicos que observaba cautivado la escena, fue a caer exactamente ante el joven abeto. Este lanz una exclamaci de sorpresa al ver que, en la primera plana, haba una foto del pintor mostrando un cuadro de un inmenso rbol blanco cuyas ramas desprovistas de hojas y cargadas de nieve se extendan hacia el cielo, y sus pies un diminuto pajarillo estaba prcticamente cubierto por tres hojas doradas. El pie de la foto rezaba: Lo ms bello es darlo todo. * Para el mundo, la grandeza est en tener, lograr y triunfar. Para Dio en la generosidad, el amor y la entrega. Nos ganamos la vida cobrando nos forjamos la vida entregando.

Just then a paper blew away from the hands of an enraptured newsboy and sailed straight into the young fir. The fir gasped in amazement, for there on the front page was a picture of the painter holding his painting of a great white tree whose leafless branches, lad with snow, stretched upward into the sky. While down below lay a tiny brown bird almost covered by three golden leaves. And beneath the picture were the words, The Most Beautiful Thing Is That Which Hath Given All. * The world says greatness is in having, achieving, and attaining, whi God says greatness is in giving, loving, and helping. We make a living b what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Created by www.freekidstories.org. Art from Microsoft Clipart/Clickr.com. Text The Family International.