Oigo una rana! anunci Carrern. Yo no dijo Pasolento. Escucha bien. Cro, cro!

I hear a frog! Zippy said. I dont, said Trudge. Listen. Rrribit, Rrribit!

Ser que Brincos regres de su viaje? exclam Carrern emocionado. Sbete a mi caparazn y dime si ves algo. Ojal sea l! Hace tanto que se fue! Carrern se puso de puntillas, estir el cuellito lo ms que pudo y ech un vistazo por encima de las totoras.

Maybe Webber came back from his trip, Zippy said excitedly. Stand on my shell and tell me if you see anything. I wish it were Webber. Hes been gone for so long. Zippy stood on his tiptoes, stretched his little neck out as far as it could go, and peered over the bulrushes.

No veo nada dijo. Alejmonos de las matas. Quizs alcance a ver ms desde all. De repente se oy muy fuerte... Cro! Cro!

I cant see anything, Zippy said. Lets move away from the bulrushes. Maybe Ill see better from over there. Suddenly, Rrribit! Rrribit! came the sound loudly.

AAYYY! grit Carrern perdiendo el equilibrio. El ratoncito cay de cabeza sobre la hierba alta que haba al borde la laguna. Ests bien? pregunt Pasolento.

AAHHH! Zippy shouted, losing his balance and falling head first off of Trudges back and into the long grass along the ponds edge. Are you alright? asked Trudge.

S murmur Carrern. Pero cuando estaba a punto de montarse otra vez encima de Pasolento, not dos ojazos que lo miraban. Brincos? El mismo! exclam la rana, dado un salto.

Im okay, mumbled Zippy. He was just about to climb back on Trudges back when he noticed two big eyes looking at him. Webber? Thats right. Its me! Webber said.

Te asust, Carrern? pregunt Brincos. No, qu va! No me asustaste Slo bueno, s; un poquito. La rana sonri de oreja a oreja.

Did I scare you, Zippy? Webber asked. Oh no! I wasnt scared I uh, well, kind of. Webber grinned with his great big frogmouth.

Estoy tan contento de haber vuelto! Los ech de menos, chicos. Y nosotros a ti dijeron sus amigos al mismo tiempo. Vamos al agua? propuso Pasolento. Buena idea respondi Brincos. Its good to be back. I missed you guys. Same here, Zippy and Trudge said together. Up for a swim? Trudge asked. You bet.

Antes de que Carrern pudiera pronunciar palabra, sus dos amigos se tiraron de cabeza al agua y nadaron hacia el centro de la laguna. Ey! Un momento! exclam. Carrern se entretuvo en la orilla juntando unas ramitas y una hoja grande. Luego arrastr la hoja hasta el agua y se moj las puntas de los pies.

Before Zippy could say a word, Trudge and Webber both dove into the water and swam out to the middle of the pond. Hey, wait for me, Zippy called. Zippy puttered around the shore and gathered twigs and a large leaf. Then he tiptoed into the pond to float the leaf.

Qu pena que no s nadar bien, como Pasolento y Brincos! pens Carrern. Cada vez que se ponen a jugar en el agua se les olvida que nunca he aprendido a nadar . Carrern se subi a la hoja grande que haba echado al agua y se puso a remar con las ramitas hacia el sitio donde se encontraban sus amigos.
Its a bother that I dont swim as well as Webber and Trudge, Zippy thought. Whenever they play in the water, they forget that I never learned how to swim. Zippy climbed aboard a large leaf hed dragged into the water, and started rowing with the twigs to get over to where Webber and Trudge were playing.

De repente el agua empez a agitarse, y unas olitas sacudieron la hoja de Carrern. Uy, uy, uy! grit cuando una ola de agua fra rompi sobre su hoja y se llev sus dos ramitas. Qu est pasando? Socorro! Auxilio! Suddenly the calm pond water began to stir, and ripples rocked Zippys leaf back and forth. Whoa! Zippy cried as a cold wave came splashing down on his head, washing away both his twigs. Whats happening?! Help! Help! he cried.

Sus amigos no lo oyeron. Estaban de lo ms distrados jugando a salpicar, haciendo olas que se extendan por toda la laguna. Las olas aumentaban de tamao con cada zambullida. El pobre Carrern estuvo en varias ocasiones a punto de caerse de su hoja, pues los saltos de sus amigos cada vez salpicaban ms.

Zippys two friends didnt hear him, as they were much too busy playing a splashing game that was causing waves and ripples all over the pond. The splashes got bigger and bigger. Poor Zippy nearly fell off his leaf several times, as Trudge and Webber continually outdid each others last huge splash.

De repente ocurri lo inevitable. Plaf! Pasolento y Brincos saltaron al mismo tiempo. La ola que hicieron fue la ms grande de todas y arrastr al agua a Carrern. Socorro! chill mientras chapoteaba para tratar de mantenerse a flote. Pero enseguida empez a hundirse.

Suddenly it happened. Splash! Trudge and Webber had together made the largest splash yet, and that splash knocked Zippy clear off his leaf and into the water. Help! he shrieked, as he paddled trying to stay afloat, and then began going under the water.

De pronto sinti que alguien lo recoga y lo sacaba rpidamente del agua. Antes de que llegara a entender lo que estaba sucediendo, se encontr en el borde de la laguna, tosiendo y escupiendo agua. Then Zippy felt something pick him up and quickly pull him out of the water. Before he could figure out what had happened, Zippy found himself sitting on the shore of the pond, coughing and sputtering.

Liana, la hermana de Brincos, haba aparecido en el momento oportuno y lo haba rescatado. Pasolento! Brincos! Creo que se les perdi un amigo! les grit Liana con su voz de rana. Pasolento y Brincos nadaron hasta la orilla a toda prisa. Rana, Webbers sister, was in the right place at the right time, and had come to Zippys rescue. Trudge! Webber! You lost a friend! Rana yelled in her loud frog voice from the shore. Trudge and Webber swam over to their friend as fast as they could.

Qu te pas? pregunt Pasolento al salir del agua. Una expresin de enfado se dibuj en el rostro de Carrern. Dando la espalda a sus amigos balbuce: Me dejaron solito! Yo trat de alcanzarlos. Hasta los llam a gritos! Si no hubiera sido por Liana, quin sabe lo que me habra pasado!

What happened to you? Trudge asked as he came ashore. An angry look crossed Zippys face. He turned his back to his two friends. You guys left me! Zippy began. I tried to keep up. I even called out to you! If it werent for Rana, who knows what wouldve happened to me!

Lo sentimos mucho, Carrern se disculp Pasolento. Creo que como nosotros dos nos sentimos muy a gusto en el agua, se nos olvid que t no sabes nadar. Procuraremos ser ms considerados la prxima vez agreg Brincos. Nos perdonas? Carrern suspir. Claro que s. Al fin y al cabo son mis amigos! Were sorry, Zippy, Trudge said. I guess because we both are at home in the water, we forgot that you dont know how to swim. Well try to be more thoughtful next time, Webber added. Will you forgive us? Zippy sighed. Of course Ill forgive you. Youre my friends, after all!

La prxima vez jugaremos a algo en lo que t puedas participar le dijo Brincos. Muy amable de tu parte. En realidad no me molesta que se metan en el agua de vez en cuando. S que les gusta. Quiz cuando se metan en el agua yo puedo hacer otra cosa en vez de tratar de seguirlos. Next time well think of something to do that will include you, too, Webber said to Zippy. Thats nice of you, but I dont mind you swimming sometimes. I know you like it. Maybe next time I can do something else, instead of trying to follow you into the water.

 Liana, gracias por rescatarme! dijo Carrern. Me alegro mucho de haber podido hacerlo respondi ella con una enorme sonrisa como la de su hermano.

Oh, thank you for rescuing me, Rana! Zippy said gratefully. My pleasure, she answered, sporting a great big frog grin, just like her brothers.

Los cuatro amigos partieron rumbo al bosque, rindose y retozando. Haban aprendido a ser ms considerados, y eso los haba hecho ms amigos que nunca.

The four friends set off for the forest, laughing and playing as they went. They had learned to be more considerate of each other, and that made them even better friends.

Frog rana Pond laguna Grin sonrisa Swim nadar Water agua Twigs ramitas Leaf hoja Ripples olitas

Wave olas Splash salpicar Friends amigos Sister hermana Brother hermano Thoughtful/considerate considerados Forgive perdonar Sighed suspir Rescue - rescatar
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Autora: Katiuscia Giusti Traduccin: Toms y Quiti de la Puente Ilustraciones: Hugo Westphal Aurora Production AG http://es.auroraproduction.com