Childrens story and coloring book / Histria infantil e livro para colorir

Clayton Mansion stood magnificently, surrounded by perfectly mowed lawns. Elegant rows of rosebushes lined the pebbled pathways leading to the house. Perfectly clipped hedges circled the property. It was a breathtaking sight. The inside of Clayton Mansion was richly furnished and absolutely spotless. Large paintings lined the walls of the wide hallways. The doors in the mansion were all intricately carved out of oak. Jessica was sitting by the Christmas tree, wearing a lovely green and gold dress. A mountain of presents lay under the tree, and the eight-year-old girl was busily sorting through them, carefully inspecting the ones that bore her name on the tag.

A linda manso da famlia Clayton se impunha majestosamente no meio de um gramado perfeito, rodeada de uma cerca viva perfeitamente aparada. Elegantes fileiras de roseiras acompanhavam ambos os lados do caminho que levava casa. Era uma vista maravilhosa! No seu interior os ambientes eram ricamente mobiliados e impecveis as paredes dos cor redores for radas de quadros enormes e as portas de carvalho possuam entalhes belssimos. Carolina, de oito anos, usando um lindo vestido de veludo verde e dourado, estava sentada ao lado da rvore apinhada de presentes e se ocupava contando atentamente os que tinham etiquetas com seu nome.

Can you play with me? her little brothers voice asked Jessica didnt even look up. Go away, Jeffrey, she said in a nasty voice. I dont have time to play with you. And plus, you always ruin things. Miss Jessica, a maid called from the next room. You need to get ready for your horse-riding lessons. I dont want to go riding today, answered Jessica lazily. The maid sighed and continued cleaning. Jeffrey came into the entrance hall, this time with his train set. Please will you help me set up my train, Jess? he asked. I cant do it myself.

Carol, voc quer br incar comigo? perguntou seu irmozinho. Sem nem sequer olhar para ele, Carolina respondeu irritada: Sai daqui, Lo. No tenho tempo para brincar com voc. Alm disso, voc sempre estraga tudo. Carolina chamou-a uma das empregadas que estava na sala ao lado. Voc precisa se aprontar para a au la de equitao. No quero montar hoje foi a resposta preguiosa. Com um suspiro a empregada continuou sua limpeza. Lo entrou mais uma vez no sa lo, desta vez carregando o ferrorama. Carol, no consigo montlo sozinho. Voc pode me ajudar?

I told you no before, Jessica snapped. Go get one of the servants to help you, and dont bother me anymore.
******

J disse que no retrucou a irm. Pea a um dos empregados e no me incomode mais.

*******

Wake up, Jessie! Wake up! the little voice lisped. The chubby hands reached out and shook Jessicas shoulders insistently. Go away, Jeffrey, she muttered and turned over.

Acorda, Carol! Bom dia! balbuciou uma vozinha. As mozinhas rechonchudas insistentemente empur ravam Carol no ombro sacudindo-a para acord-la. Sai daqui, Lo resmungou virando-se para o outro lado.

Im not Jeffrey. Im Kenny, came the voice again. Whos Kenny? Jessica asked, as she opened her eyes sleepily. As soon as she looked around the dark, cold room, she bolted out of bed. This wasnt her room at all! Newspaper was stuffed into cracks in the walls to keep the cold air out. She saw tattered curtains and a rickety dresser. Four beds were crammed into the tiny room. The blankets on the beds were patched and stitched from continual wear. She looked out the window and saw the bustle of a fairly busy street. Albertson Drive?! she exclaimed, reading the street sign outside the window. Where am I? Jessica looked around the room for her clothes. On the dresser she found a set of folded clothes, but though they were clean and repaired nicely, they were obviously very old and frequently used. She put them on. Just then a womans head peeked around the door. Good morning, Jessica, she called. I trust you slept well. I slept fine, Jessica answered.

Eu no sou Lo. Sou o Carlinhos.

Quem Carlinhos? perguntou Carolina ainda sonolenta abrindo os olhos. Assim que correu os olhos pelo quarto escuro e frio ela deu um pulo da cama. Com certeza aquele no era o seu quarto!
Havia jornal tampando os buracos da parede para no deixar entrar o ar frio. Ela viu cortinas esgaradas e uma cmoda velha. O quarto era minsculo e tinha quatro camas praticamente coladas uma outra. Os cobertores eram remendados e costurados de to surrados. Olhando pela janela, percebeu que estava numa rua bem movimentada. Rua das Accias?! exclamou ela, ao ler o nome da rua. Onde estou? Carolina procurou suas roupas pelo quarto. Na cmoda encontrou umas roupas dobradas que, embora limpas, eram remendadas e obviamente bem velhas e surradas. Ela as vestiu.

Foi ento que uma senhora colocou a cabea para dentro do quarto e cumprimentou Carolina num tom de voz muito amvel. Bom dia, Carol. Tenho certeza que voc teve uma boa noite.
, eu dormi bem respondeu Carolina.

Once youve made your bed, would you please set the table for breakfast? the woman asked sweetly. Isnt the maid supposed to do that? Jessica snapped back, before she could catch herself. Mother looked puzzled for a moment, and then a smile spread across her face. That mustve been quite some dream, child! she said with a little laugh. But we really must be on with our day. Father will be returning from his night shift shortly and well eat breakfast together. Please come and give me a hand as soon as youre done tidying your room. Uh, yes, Jessica stuttered. She stared blankly at the bed, trying to think how to go about making it. Her attempt ended in frustration; the bed was all wrinkles and lumps. Kenny giggled as he watched. Jessica scowled at him fiercely, and the little boy stopped laughing and tried to help her finish making the bed.

Depois de arruma r a sua cama, voc poderia, por favor, servir a mesa para o caf? perguntou a senhora com doura. Mas no a empregada que faz isso? respondeu Carolina automaticamente. A me ficou surpresa por um momento, e depois sorriu. Voc deve ter tido um lindo sonho, minha filha! Mas agora precisamos comear o dia. O papai vai voltar do turno da noite daqui a pouco e vamos tomar caf juntos. Por favor, venha me dar uma mozinha assim que acabar de arrumar o quarto. Carol concordou e ficou ali em frente cama com o olhar perdido tentando imaginar como ia arrum-la. Foi uma tentativa frustrada; a cama ficou toda enrugada e cheia de dobras. Carlinhos a observava rindo. Carolina franziu a testa e lanou-lhe um olhar fulminante. O garotin ho parou de rir e tentou ajud-la a term inar de fazer a cama.

Jessica gingerly crept out of the room, not sure where she was supposed to go. From the doorway of her room she could see the living room and kitchen. The house was small and shabby, but there were homemade Christmas decorations strung around the living room. A roaring fire blazed in the fireplace, and in the corner stood a scrawny tree decorated with simple, homemade decorations. Jessica went to the kitchen to set the table, but soon realized she didnt know how. Not knowing where anything was, she began to open every cupboard door in search of bowls and utensils. CRASH! One of the bowls fell to the ground and shattered. The house went completely silent as everyone turned and eyed Jessica. The family was so poor that every bowl was valuable. Jessica bent to pick up the larger pieces of the broken bowl. As she did, she cut her finger on the broken bowl, and let out a cry of pain. Mother quickly turned, saw the situation, and grabbed a cloth. She wrapped it tightly around the cut to stop the bleeding. Itll be okay, she said softly. Im sorry, was all Jessica could mutter.

Carolina saiu cautelosamente do quarto, incerta sobre aonde deveria ir. A casa era pequena e pobre, mas de onde ela estava dava para ver a cozinha e a sala toda decorada com enfeites de natal caseiros. Um fogo forte ardia na lareira, e num canto havia uma arvorezinha com alguns enfeitinhos caseiros tambm.

Foi cozinha para pr a mesa. Comeou a abrir todos os ar mrios procurando os pratos, talheres e copos, e logo percebeu que no sabia o que tinha que fazer.
CRA SH! Um dos pratos caiu e se espatifou no cho. Um silncio dominou a casa inteira e todos olharam para Carolina. A famlia era to pobre que cada prato contava. Carolina abaixou para recolher primeiro os cacos maiores e logo se cortou. Comeou a chorar de dor, mas a me, ao perceber a situao, pegou um pano e amarrou com fora o machucado para parar de sa ngrar. Vai sarar logo disse mansamente. A menina s conseguiu sussurrar um pedido de desculpas.

When the father had returned, the family gathered around the table. Everyone folded their hands and bowed their heads. For what we are about to receive, the father began, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen. Amen, came the chorus of voices, followed instantly by the clatter of spoons.

Quando o pai chegou, a famlia se reuniu para a refeio. Fechando as mos, todos abaixa ram a cabea para acompanhar o pai numa orao: Que o Senhor nos d verdadeira gratido por este alimento. Amm. Amm responderam todos, e comeou-se a ouvir o barulho de colheres.

As Jessica took a bite of her porridge, she cringed. It had no butter and very little sugar in it. But she was so hungry that she gingerly took another bite and then another. Its not too bad, I guess, she thought to herself.
After breakfast there were dishes to do. The woman asked Sara, the eldest sister, to do the dishes, while Jessica was to keep an eye on the two younger ones, Kenny and Becky, so that she could go out.

Ao provar o mingau Carolina fez uma careta. No estava doce como ela gostava. Mas, como a fome era muita, comeu uma colherada e depois mais outra. Ora, no est to ruim assim. Pensou consiga mesma.
Depois do caf da manh, era hora de lavar a loua. A senhora pediu Sara, a irm mais velha, para lavar a loua, enquanto Carolina ficava de olho nos dois menores, Carlinhos e Bete, pois a me precisava sair.

But I was going to go play with my Jessica Mas eu ia brincar com a minha... Carolina started to answer, but stopped. All right, continued comeou a responder, mas parou e chamou as Jessica, and called the little kids to follow her. crianas para perto de si.
****** *******

That afternoon, after Mother had returned from the market, she came to see Jessica. She was carrying a small basin of warm water and a cloth. Hows your hand doing, Jessie? she asked.

Naquela tarde, depois que voltou do mercado, a me procurou Carolina levando uma pequena bacia de gua morna e um pano. Como est a sua mo, Carol? perguntou.

Fine. The bleeding stopped a while ago, but its a little sore. Im so sorry about that. Let me clean it, so that it wont get infected. Mother removed the bandage and gently cleaned the cut. Is everything okay? she asked Jessica. You seem a little out of sorts. I noticed that youre finding your jobs harder to do around the house. You question doing them much more than you used to. Jessica stared at the floor, embarrassed by what she heard. But how am I supposed to react? she asked herself. There is something I want you to know, Mother said, as she wrapped a clean bandage on Jessicas hand. I want you to know how much I appreciate your help around the house. Im sure its difficult for you to have to look after your younger brothers and sisters, when youd prefer to be doing something else. Sara and you are both so helpful, and it makes things a lot easier for me.

Est melhor. Parou de sangrar, mas ainda di um pouco. Sinto muito voc ter se machucado. Vou limpar a ferida para no infeccionar. A me tirou a bandagem com cuidado e limpou o machucado. Est tudo bem, Carol? Voc parece meio perturbada com alguma coisa. Reparei que voc est tendo dificuldades para fazer suas tarefas na casa e est reclamando disso mais do que de costume. Carol olhou para o cho com vergonha de ter ouvido aquilo, mas sem saber como deveria reagir. Quero que voc saiba continuou a me, trocando o curativo na mo da menina. Quero que saiba o quanto valorizo a sua ajuda na casa. Sei que difcil para voc ter que cuidar de seus irmos menores quando preferiria fazer outra coisa. Voc e Sara so muito prestativas e me ajudam bastante.

Jessica had never had anyone thank her for helping, because she had never taken the time to help another person. Jessica felt ashamed of how selfish and unkind she had been. I know you want to do the right thing, Jessica, and I understand that its not always easy. So thank you very much for doing it anyway, and for helping me all the time. I love you so much.

Jamais algum lhe agradecera por ajudar, visto que Carolina nunca tin ha se disposto a ajudar ningum. Ficou sem jeito ao pensar no seu egosmo. Sei que quer ter a atitude certa, Carol, e entendo que nem sempre fcil. Muito obrigada por me obedecer assim mesmo e por ser to prestativa. Eu te amo muito mesmo. A me a abraou antes de deixar o quarto. Carolina ficou ali sentada por alguns minutos refletindo. Quero ser mais gentil com as pessoas. No sei muito bem como, mas tenho certeza que posso fazer alguma coisa para ajudar. Vou tentar ser assim.

Mother hugged Jessica for a few moments before she left the room.
Jessica sat there for a few minutes reflecting. I want to be kinder to other people, she thought. I dont know how exactly, but Im sure there are things that I can do to help and I want to try to do that. All that day, whenever she was asked, Jessica helped with the children, and cleaned the house. She also helped Mother and Sara cook dinner. It was a lot of work, but Jessica found that it was actually fun. Every time she helped someone or shared something with others, she felt good inside. That night she went to bed feeling content and satisfied.
*******

E assim foi o dia inteiro. Sempre que lhe pediam, Carolina ajudava com as crianas e limpava a casa. Ela tambm ajudou a me e Sara a fazerem o jantar. Ela deu duro, mas gostou, pois descobriu que sempre que ajudava algum ou partilhava algo com outros se sentia bem por dentro. Naquela noite, ela foi para a cama toda contente e satisfeita.
*******

Good morning, Jessica! Merry Christmas! a voice called from beside her bed.

Bom dia, Carol! Feliz Natal! Ela acordou com algum dizendo.

Jessica opened her eyes slowly and there standing beside her bed was Jeffrey. She was back in her own room, in Clayton Mansion! How did I get back? she cried, as she jumped out of bed. Oh my goodness, Jeffrey! It must have all just been a dream! She laughed happily. Its wonderful to be back. And its so good to see you! she said as she gave him a big hug. Jeffreys eyes were wide with surprise! I love you, Jeffrey. Im so sorry I havent been very nice to you lately. Please forgive me? Lets go set the table for breakfast. The two of them went downstairs to the dining room. Merry Christmas, Maria! the two chorused, as the maid came in with a big tray of food. She was so surprised at the sight of the set table that she almost dropped the tray on the floor.

Ao abrir os olhos bem devagarzinho, viu Lo ao lado de sua cama. Ela estava de volta ao seu quarto na manso! Como ser que voltei? perguntou pulando da cama. Ah, Lo! Deve ter sido um sonho constatou feliz e sorridente. Que maravilha estar de volta. Que bom te ver! disse dando um grande abrao no irmozinho que ficou ali de olhos arregalados de tanta surpresa! Eu te amo, Lo! Voc me perdoa por eu no o estar tratando to bem ultimamente? Vamos servir a mesa para o caf da manh! E l foram os dois para a sala de jantar.

Feliz Natal, Conceio! disseram em coro para a empregada que entrava com uma grande bandeja. Conceio ficou to surpresa ao ver a mesa posta que quase deixou a bandeja cair.
Muito obrigada por me ajudarem disse com um sorriso. Que beleza! Depois de tomarem caf, Carolina exclamou: Mame, eu tenho uma idia! Por que no damos presentes para uma famlia pobre que no tenha nada de especial para o Natal? Eu gostaria de dar alguns dos meus presentes para fazer outros felizes.

Why, thank you for helping, Maria said with a smile. Thats just wonderful!
After breakfast, Jessica exclaimed, Oh, Mother, I have an idea. Why dont we find a poor family who doesnt have anything special for Christmas, and bring them some presents? Id like to give some of my presents away to make them happy.

There were tears in her mothers eyes when Jessica had finished. That is such a kind thought, Sweetheart. As Jessica was putting presents into a big red sack, Jeffrey came to her. I want to share my presents too, he said softly. Jessica and Jeffrey finished filling the sack with presents, and tied it shut with a gold ribbon. When they got to the shabby house on Albertson Drive, they set the sack outside the door. Jessica peeked out from behind a bush and saw the woman, with a few small children behind her, coming out of the house and looking in surprise at the bundle on the doorstep. Look what God has sent us! she happily exclaimed. Jessica smiled and felt warm inside. It really did feel good to be kind and sharing and to do nice things for other people. Os olhos da me se encheram de lgrimas ao ouvir a sugesto da filha. Que lindo voc ter pensado nisso, querida! Quando Carol estava colocando os presentes numa grande sacola vermelha, Lo se aproximou: Tambm quero dividir meus presentes disse ternamente. Carol e Lo encheram a sacola com presentes e a amarraram bem firme com uma fita dourada. Quando chegaram casinha simples na Rua das Accias, colocaram a sacola do lado de fora da porta. Carol ficou atrs de um arbusto espiando, quando uma senhora saiu da casa com algumas crianas pequenas, olhando surpresa para o embrulho porta. Vejam o que Deus nos enviou! ela exclamou muito contente. Carol sorriu e sentiu um calorzinho gostoso por dentro. Com certeza dava uma boa sensao dividir suas coisas e fazer o bem.

Para mais histrias bilnge para crianas, visite www.freekidstories.org

Story by Cristiana Heins. Originally published in Activated Kids! Magazine. Used with permission.