King Canute on the Seashore
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Tired of his courtiers' endless flattery, a king orders the rising tide to stop — and lets the sea itself teach them a lesson about true power.
A hundred years or more after the time of Alfred the Great there was a king of England named Canute. King Canute was a Dane; but the Danes were not so fierce and cruel then as they had been when they were at war with King Alfred.
Cien años o más después de la época de Alfredo el Grande, hubo un rey de Inglaterra llamado Canuto. El rey Canuto era danés; pero los daneses ya no eran tan feroces y crueles como lo habían sido cuando estaban en guerra con el rey Alfredo.
The great men and officers who were around King Canute were always praising him.
Los grandes hombres y funcionarios que rodeaban al rey Canuto siempre lo halagaban.
"You are the greatest man that ever lived," one would say.
«Eres el hombre más grande que jamás haya vivido», decía uno.
Then another would say, "O king! there can never be another man so mighty as you."
Entonces otro decía: «¡Oh, rey! Nunca podrá haber otro hombre tan poderoso como tú».
And another would say, "Great Canute, there is nothing in the world that dares to disobey you."
Y otro decía: «Gran Canuto, no hay nada en el mundo que se atreva a desobedecerte».
The king was a man of sense, and he grew very tired of hearing such foolish speeches.
El rey era un hombre sensato, y se cansaba mucho de oír discursos tan necios.
One day he was by the sea-shore, and his officers were with him. They were praising him, as they were in the habit of doing. He thought that now he would teach them a lesson, and so he bade them set his chair on the beach close by the edge of the water.
Un día estaba junto a la orilla del mar, y sus funcionarios estaban con él. Lo halagaban, como acostumbraban hacer. Pensó que ahora les daría una lección, así que ordenó que colocaran su silla en la playa, cerca del borde del agua.
"Am I the greatest man in the world?" he asked.
«¿Soy el hombre más grande del mundo?», preguntó.
"O king!" they cried, "there is no one so mighty as you."
«¡Oh, rey!», exclamaron, «no hay nadie tan poderoso como tú».
"Do all things obey me?" he asked.
«¿Me obedecen todas las cosas?», preguntó.
"There is nothing that dares to disobey you, O king!" they said. "The world bows before you, and gives you honor."
«No hay nada que se atreva a desobedecerte, ¡oh, rey!», dijeron. «El mundo se inclina ante ti, y te rinde honor».
"Will the sea obey me?" he asked; and he looked down at the little waves which were lapping the sand at his feet.
«¿Me obedecerá el mar?», preguntó; y miró hacia las pequeñas olas que lamían la arena a sus pies.
The foolish officers were puzzled, but they did not dare to say "No."
Los necios funcionarios se quedaron perplejos, pero no se atrevieron a decir «No».
"Command it, O king! and it will obey," said one.
«Ordénaselo, ¡oh, rey!, y te obedecerá», dijo uno.
"Sea," cried Canute, "I command you to come no farther! Waves, stop your rolling, and do not dare to touch my feet!"
«Mar», exclamó Canuto, «¡te ordeno que no avances más! Olas, dejad de rodar, ¡y no os atreváis a tocar mis pies!»
But the tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king's chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe. His officers stood about him, alarmed, and wondering whether he was not mad.
Pero la marea siguió subiendo, tal como siempre lo hacía. El agua subía cada vez más alto. Llegó hasta rodear la silla del rey, y le mojó no solo los pies, sino también su manto. Sus funcionarios se quedaron a su alrededor, alarmados, y preguntándose si no se habría vuelto loco.
Then Canute took off his crown, and threw it down upon the sand.
Entonces Canuto se quitó la corona y la arrojó sobre la arena.
"I shall never wear it again," he said. "And do you, my men, learn a lesson from what you have seen. There is only one King who is all-powerful; and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. It is he whom you ought to praise and serve above all others."
«Nunca volveré a llevarla», dijo. «Y que vosotros, mis hombres, aprendáis una lección de lo que habéis visto. Solo hay un Rey que es todopoderoso; y es él quien gobierna el mar, y sostiene el océano en el hueco de su mano. Es a él a quien debéis alabar y servir por encima de todos los demás».
