Aesop's Fables: The Dog and the Wolf

A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by.

"Ah, Cousin," said the Dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work
steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"

"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with me to my master and you shall share my work."

So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain
part of the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up;
it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master Dog."

Better starve free than be a fat slave.

The Swallow and the Other Birds
It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where aSwallow and some other birds
were hopping about picking up their food.

"Beware of that man," quoth the Swallow. "Why, what is he doing?" said the others. "That is hemp seed he is sowing; be
careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else you will repent it."

The birds paid no heed to the Swallow's words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and of the cords
nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the Swallow's advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp.

"What did I tell you?" said the Swallow.

Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin

Aesop's Fables: The Cock and the Pearl
A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something
shinning amid the straw.

"Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw.

What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard?

"You may be a treasure," quoth Master Cock, "to men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-
corn than a peck of pearls."

Precious things are for those that can prize them.

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The Wolf and the Lamb

Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just
beginning to drink a little lower down.

"There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it."

Then he called out to the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"

"Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to
me."

"Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names this time last year?"
"That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."

"I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb
and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out:

"Any excuse will serve a tyrant."

Aesop's Fables: The Lion's Share
The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they
surprised a Stag, and soon took its life.

Then came the question how the spoil should be divided. "Quarter me this Stag," roaredthe Lion; so the other animals
skinned it and cut it into four parts.

Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: The first quarter is for me in my capacity as
King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth
quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it."

"Humph," grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl. "You may share
the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil."
LA OLLA DEL PANECILLO
Se dice que en Quito había una mujer que todos los días llevaba su vaquita al
Panecillo para que pudiera comer ya que no tenía un potrero donde llevarla.
Un buen día, mientras recogía un poco de leña, dejó a la vaquita cerca de la olla
pero a su regreso ya no la encontró. Muy asustada, se puso a buscarla por los
alrededores.

Pasaron algunas horas y la vaquita no aparecía. En su afán por encontrarla, bajó

hasta el fondo de la misma olla y su sorpresa fue muy grande cuando llegó a la
entrada de un inmenso palacio.

Cuando pudo recuperarse de su asombro, miró que en un lujoso trono estaba

sentada una bella princesa que al ver allí a la humilde señora, le preguntó
sonriendo:

-¿Cuál es el motivo de tu visita?

- ¡He perdido a mi vaca! Y si no la encuentro quedaré en la mayor miseria. Contestó
la mujer llorando.
La princesa, para calmar el sufrimiento de la señora, le regaló una mazorca y un ladrillo de oro. Además, la consoló
asegurándole que su querida vaquita estaba sana y salva.
La mujer agradeció a la princesa y salió contenta con sus obsequios. Pero, cuando llegó a la puerta, se llevó una gran
sorpresa al ver a su vaca de regreso. -¡Ahí está mi vaca! Gritó la mujer muy contenta.

Y fue así como la mujer y la vaquita regresó a su casa luego de esa inolvidable aventura que quedó escondida en la Olla del
Panecillo.

Tales and American legends

Cuentos y leyendas americanas

El origen del Imperio Inca The origin of the Inca Empire

Pachacutej, dios de todas las cosas y Hacedor Supremo, Pachacutej, god of everything and Supreme Creator,
dispuso en cierta ocasión que el Sol y la Luna, siempre determined on a certain occasion that the Sun and the
tan distantes el uno del otro, tuvieran contacto, Moon, always so distant from each other, have contact, at
siquiera por unos momentos, y se conocieran para least for some moments, and know themselves to establish
entablar amistad. Y tal como lo dispuso sucedió. El Sol y friendship. And just as he arranged it, it happened . The Sun
la Luna se acercaron, y los hombres, entonces, ajenos a and the Moon approached, And then the men, alien to the
los designios del Supremo Hacedor, comprobaron Supreme Maker's designs, found only that an enormous
únicamente que una enorme mancha oscura aparecía dark blemish appeared on the the king of star's surface. This
sobre la superficie del astro rey. Esta sombra, que shade, that terrified all of the humans, persisted while the
aterrorizó a todos los humanos, persistió mientras la Moon and the Sun were together to know themselves and
Luna y el Sol estuvieron juntos para conocerse y loving each other. Before separating, two children were
amarse. Antes de separarse, nacieron de sus amores born of their love: A male, strong and gold of skin, and a
dos hijos: un varón, fuerte y dorado de piel, y una delicate and pale maiden of mysterious beauty. Both
delicada y pálida doncella de misteriosa bellaza. Ambos predestinated to complete a difficult mission in the world,
predestinados a cumplir en el mundo una difícil misión, they became established at the Sacred lake, from where
se establecieron en el lago Sagrado, de donde they received of the Sun the orders to rule over the world
recibieron del Sol las órdenes de dominar el mundo y and to convert the men into slaves of the king of the stars.
convertir a los hombres en siervos del rey de los astros.

Los dos hermanos, obedientes a la consigna recibida,
marcharon por el mundo y se encontraron con la
presencia de unos hombres cubiertos con pieles de
animales salvajes, hambrientos y luchadores, como las
mismas fieras. Comprendieron entonces que su misión
consistiría en redimirlos de aquella esclavitud de la
naturaleza indomable, y decidieron enseñarles el
contenido de una nueva vida.
The two siblings, obedient to the received instruction, went
through the world and they met with the presence of some
men covered with skins of wild, hungry and combatant
animals, the same as wild animals. They understood then
that the mission would involve redeeming them from the
slavery of that indomitable nature, and they decided to
show the contents of a new life.

El hijo del Sol subió a lo alto de la colina Huanacauti, y
desde la misma cima habló a todos los hombres que le
escuchaban en las laderas. Les hizo saber que él era
hijo del gran astro que daba la vida al mundo y que
venía enviado por su padre para enseñarles a trabajar y
a formar una sociedad en la que llegarían a gozar de
una vida mil veces mejor.
The son of the Sun Huanacauti climbed to the top of the hill,
and he spoke to all of the men that listened to him upon the
slopes from the same summit. He let them know that he was
the son of the great star that was giving life to the the world
and that the envoy came from his father to teach them to
work and to form a society that they would get to enjoy a
life a thousand times better.

Mientras esto hablaba a los hombres el hijo del Sol, su
hermana se dirigía a las mujeres en el mismo sentido,
dándose a conocer como enviada e hija de la Luna. Las
reunió en el llano y les prometió enseñarles a vivir una
existencia mejor por medio del amor, la bondad y la
prudencia.
While he spoke to the men the son of the Sun, his sister
went to the women in the same way, making herself known
as the emissary and daughter of the Moon. She gathered
them in the plain and she promised to teach them to live a
better existence by means of love, kindness and wisdom.

Los hombres y las mujeres, desde aquel día, empezaron The men and women, from that day, began to change their
a cambiar su vida y agradecieron el favor que los hijos life and appreciated the favor that the children of the Sun
del Sol les habían hecho redimiéndolos. A él le llamaron had done redeeming them. They called him Inca; That is,
"Inca"; es decir, emperador, príncipe, suprema emperor, prince, supreme authority. And to her,
jerarquía. Y a ella, Mamauchic, o lo que es igual,
"madre nuestra". Pero conforme pasaban los días y
crecía el agradecimiento de los hombres hacia el
enviado del Sol, se sentían más inclinados a adorarle y a him and to demonstrate the love that was declared with no
demostrarle el amor que le profesaban con un sin fin end of adjectives that were not enough in a short while
de adjetivos que fueron poco a poco añadiendo a su
nombre. Le llamaron Manco-Capaj, que quiere decir
"rico en justicia y en bondad", y también Zapallan-Inca, Zapallan Inca, that signifies lord of the gentlemen.
que significa "señor de los señores".
Desde el río Pancarpata al Apurimac, los hombres iban
construyendo el Imperio Inca bajo las indicaciones de
Manco-Capaj. Las cabañas de barro y paja poblaron
poco a poco todo el Tahuantin, que desde entonces
empezó a llamarse Hanan y Hurin Cuzco. Los campos
eran trabajados de tal forma, que todos podían comer
hasta saciarse. Eran los hombres los encargados de la
labranza y los que proporcionaban, por lo tanto, la
comida, mientras las mujeres, que habían aprendido a
hilar, tejían los vestidos.
En poco tiempo, la vida de los Incas quedó
perfectamente organizada, convirtiéndose socialmente
en un pueblo admirable: tenían sus hogares seguros,
comían en abundancia y se abrigaban del frío en
invierno, sin necesidad de luchar con las fieras.
El Sol, entonces, comprendió que su hijo había
cumplido ya su misión en el mundo, y quiso arrebatarlo
de allí. Manco-Capaj, como un ser humano cualquiera,
cayó enfermo y entró en agonía rápidamente.
Previendo su muerte, todos los habitantes del Cuzco,
entristecidos, fueron desfilando ante su lecho para
despedirse de él. Los sacerdotes y los soldados no
podían contener el llanto. Y Manco-Capaj, viendo la
tristeza de todos, trataba de consolarles y hasta su
último momento estuvo aconsejando que se
mantuvieran, como hasta aquel momento, fieles
cumplidores de sus deberes; que, para mantener entre
todos la paz y la armonía, se comportaran bien entre sí
y trabajasen. Que no robaran nunca y que no
mintieran, porque cualquier cosa mala que hicieran
tendría para ellos consecuencias fatídicas.
Así murió Manco-Capaj, a quien su padre, el Sol,
reclamaba para sí. Pero aseguran los habitantes de
Cuzco que nunca desde entonces se olvidaron de él y
que cumplieron fielmente sus consejos.
Mamauchic, or that is the same as, our mother. But they
conformed and passed the days and the men's gratitude
toward the envoy of the Sun grew, more inclined to adore
adding on their own name to his. They called him Manco
Capaj, that means "rich in justice and in goodness", and also
From the river Pancarpata to the Apurimac, the men went
building the Inca Empire under Manco Capaj's instructions.
The cabins of mud and straw populated little by little all of
the Tahuantin, that ever since it began to be named Hanan
and Hurin Cuzco. Fields were worked in such a way that they
all could eat their fill. There were men in charge of
cultivation and the ones that were providing the food, while
the women, that had learned how to spin, wove dresses.
Shortly, the Incas' life got perfectly organized, becoming an
admirable town socially: They had safe homes, they ate in
abundance and they sheltered themselves from the cold in
winter, without need to fight with the wild beasts.
The Sun, then, understood that his son had already
completed his mission in the world, and he wanted to carry
him off from there. Manco Capaj, like any human being, fell
ill and went into agony rapidly. Foreseeing his death, all of
Cuzco's inhabitants, sorrowful, they went filing by in front of
his bed to say good-bye to him. The priests and soldiers
could not contain the crying. And Manco Capaj, seeing the
sadness of all, he tried to console them and he suggested to
his last moment that they should keep on, like to that
moment, dependable and trustworthy of his obligations;
That, to maintain between all the peace and the harmony,
they behaved very to each other and work. That they never
stole and that they didn't lie, because any bad thing that
they did would have ill-fated consequences.
That way Manco Capaj died, to whom his father, the Sun,
reclaimed him. But Cuzco's inhabitants from then on never
forgot about him and faithfully obeyed his advice .