Storyteller

How the Camel Got His Hump

A free B2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.

Level
B2
Genres
fable, fantasy
Reading time
6 min
Languages available
EN, VI, ES, ZH, PT, HI, ID
How the Camel Got His Hump cover

A lazy Camel refuses to lift a hoof while the other animals work — until a desert-dwelling Djinn decides to teach him an unforgettable lesson.

Now this is the next tale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump.

NAH ini kisah berikutnya, dan menceritakan bagaimana Unta mendapatkan punuk besarnya.

In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work; and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and tamarisks and milkweed and prickles, most ‘scruciating idle; and when anybody spoke to him he said ‘Humph!’ Just ‘Humph!’ and no more.

Pada permulaan masa, ketika dunia masih begitu baru dan segalanya, dan para Hewan baru saja mulai bekerja untuk Manusia, ada seekor Unta, dan ia tinggal di tengah Gurun Melolong sebab ia tidak mau bekerja; dan selain itu, ia sendiri juga seorang Peraung. Maka ia memakan ranting-ranting dan duri-duri serta pohon tamarisk dan gulma susu serta onak-onak, dengan sangat malas menyiksa; dan ketika ada yang bicara kepadanya ia hanya berkata 'Humf!' Hanya 'Humf!' dan tak ada yang lain.

Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.’

Tak lama kemudian sang Kuda datang menemuinya pada Senin pagi, dengan pelana di punggungnya dan kekang di mulutnya, dan berkata, 'Unta, wahai Unta, keluarlah dan berlari kecil seperti kami yang lain.'

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.

'Humf!' kata sang Unta; dan sang Kuda pun pergi dan memberitahu Manusia.

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.’

Tak lama kemudian sang Anjing datang menemuinya, dengan sebatang tongkat di mulutnya, dan berkata, 'Unta, wahai Unta, datanglah dan ambil serta bawa barang seperti kami yang lain.'

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.

'Humf!' kata sang Unta; dan sang Anjing pun pergi dan memberitahu Manusia.

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.’

Tak lama kemudian sang Sapi Jantan datang menemuinya, dengan kuk di lehernya, dan berkata, 'Unta, wahai Unta, datanglah dan membajak seperti kami yang lain.'

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.

'Humf!' kata sang Unta; dan sang Sapi Jantan pun pergi dan memberitahu Manusia.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, ‘Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you (with the world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it.’

Pada akhir hari itu Manusia memanggil sang Kuda dan sang Anjing dan sang Sapi Jantan berkumpul bersama, dan berkata, 'Kalian Bertiga, wahai Bertiga, aku sangat menyesal untuk kalian (dengan dunia yang masih begitu baru dan segalanya); tapi si makhluk Humf itu di Gurun tidak bisa bekerja, kalau tidak ia pasti sudah ada di sini sekarang, jadi aku akan membiarkannya sendiri, dan kalian harus bekerja dua kali lipat untuk menggantikannya.'

That made the Three very angry (with the world so new-and-all), and they held a palaver, and an indaba, and a punchayet, and a pow-wow on the edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing on milkweed most ‘scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said ‘Humph!’ and went away again.

Itu membuat si Bertiga sangat marah (dengan dunia yang masih begitu baru dan segalanya), dan mereka mengadakan perundingan, dan sebuah pertemuan adat, dan sebuah musyawarah, dan sebuah rapat besar di tepi Gurun; dan sang Unta datang mengunyah gulma susu dengan sangat malas menyiksa, dan menertawakan mereka. Lalu ia berkata 'Humf!' dan pergi lagi.

Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), and he stopped to palaver and pow-pow with the Three.

Tak lama kemudian datanglah Jin penguasa Semua Gurun, berguling dalam awan debu (para Jin selalu bepergian seperti itu karena itu Sihir), dan ia berhenti untuk berunding dan bermusyawarah dengan si Bertiga.

‘Djinn of All Deserts,’ said the Horse, ‘is it right for any one to be idle, with the world so new-and-all?’

'Jin Penguasa Semua Gurun,' kata sang Kuda, 'apakah pantas ada yang bermalas-malasan, dengan dunia yang masih begitu baru dan segalanya?'

‘Certainly not,’ said the Djinn.

'Tentu saja tidak,' kata sang Jin.

‘Well,’ said the Horse, ‘there’s a thing in the middle of your Howling Desert (and he’s a Howler himself) with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won’t trot.’

'Nah,' kata sang Kuda, 'ada satu makhluk di tengah Gurun Melolongmu (dan ia sendiri juga seorang Peraung) dengan leher panjang dan kaki panjang, dan ia belum melakukan setitik pun pekerjaan sejak Senin pagi. Ia tak mau berlari kecil.'

‘Whew!’ said the Djinn, whistling, ‘that’s my Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say about it?’

'Wah!' kata sang Jin, bersiul, 'itu Untaku, demi semua emas di Arabia! Apa yang ia katakan soal itu?'

‘He says “Humph!”’ said the Dog; ‘and he won’t fetch and carry.’

'Ia bilang "Humf!"' kata sang Anjing; 'dan ia tak mau mengambil dan membawa barang.'

‘Does he say anything else?’

'Apakah ia mengatakan yang lain lagi?'

‘Only “Humph!”; and he won’t plough,’ said the Ox.

'Hanya "Humf!"; dan ia tak mau membajak,' kata sang Sapi Jantan.

‘Very good,’ said the Djinn. ‘I’ll humph him if you will kindly wait a minute.’

'Baiklah,' kata sang Jin. 'Akan kuhumfkan dia kalau kalian sudi menunggu sebentar.'

The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing across the desert, and found the Camel most ‘scruciatingly idle, looking at his own reflection in a pool of water.

Sang Jin menggulung dirinya dalam jubah debunya, dan mengambil arah menyeberangi gurun, dan menemukan sang Unta dengan sangat malas menyiksa, sedang memandangi bayangannya sendiri di sebuah kolam air.

‘My long and bubbling friend,’ said the Djinn, ‘what’s this I hear of your doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?’

'Sahabatku yang panjang dan berbuih,' kata sang Jin, 'apa ini yang kudengar tentang kau tak melakukan pekerjaan apa pun, dengan dunia yang masih begitu baru dan segalanya?'

‘Humph!’ said the Camel.

'Humf!' kata sang Unta.

The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think a Great Magic, while the Camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of water.

Sang Jin duduk, dengan dagu di tangannya, dan mulai memikirkan sebuah Sihir Besar, sementara sang Unta memandangi bayangannya sendiri di kolam air itu.

‘You’ve given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning, all on account of your ‘scruciating idleness,’ said the Djinn; and he went on thinking Magics, with his chin in his hand.

'Kau sudah membuat si Bertiga bekerja ekstra sejak Senin pagi, semua karena kemalasanmu yang menyiksa itu,' kata sang Jin; dan ia terus memikirkan Sihir-sihir, dengan dagu di tangannya.

‘Humph!’ said the Camel.

'Humf!' kata sang Unta.

‘I shouldn’t say that again if I were you,’ said the Djinn; you might say it once too often. Bubbles, I want you to work.’

'Aku tak akan mengatakan itu lagi kalau aku jadi kau,' kata sang Jin; 'kau mungkin akan mengatakannya sekali terlalu banyak. Wahai si Buih, aku ingin kau bekerja.'

And the Camel said ‘Humph!’ again; but no sooner had he said it than he saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a great big lolloping humph.

Dan sang Unta berkata 'Humf!' lagi; tapi baru saja ia mengatakannya, ia melihat punggungnya, yang selalu ia banggakan, menggembung dan menggembung menjadi sebuah humf besar yang berayun-ayun.

‘Do you see that?’ said the Djinn. ‘That’s your very own humph that you’ve brought upon your very own self by not working. To-day is Thursday, and you’ve done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now you are going to work.’

'Kau lihat itu?' kata sang Jin. 'Itu humf milikmu sendiri yang kau datangkan atas dirimu sendiri karena tidak bekerja. Hari ini hari Kamis, dan kau belum bekerja sejak Senin, saat pekerjaan itu dimulai. Sekarang kau akan bekerja.'

‘How can I,’ said the Camel, ‘with this humph on my back?’

'Bagaimana bisa,' kata sang Unta, 'dengan humf ini di punggungku?'

‘That’s made a-purpose,’ said the Djinn, ‘all because you missed those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph; and don’t you ever say I never did anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three, and behave. Humph yourself!’

'Itu memang dibuat dengan sengaja,' kata sang Jin, 'semua karena kau melewatkan tiga hari itu. Kau akan bisa bekerja sekarang selama tiga hari tanpa makan, sebab kau bisa hidup dari humfmu itu; dan jangan pernah kau bilang aku tak pernah berbuat apa pun untukmu. Keluarlah dari Gurun dan pergilah ke si Bertiga, dan berkelakuan baik. Humfkanlah dirimu!'

And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all, and went away to join the Three. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call it ‘hump’ now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned how to behave.

Dan sang Unta pun menghumfkan dirinya, humf dan semuanya, dan pergi bergabung dengan si Bertiga. Dan sejak hari itu hingga sekarang sang Unta selalu memakai sebuah humf (kita menyebutnya 'punuk' sekarang, supaya tak menyakiti perasaannya); tapi ia belum pernah lagi mengejar ketertinggalan tiga hari yang ia lewatkan di permulaan dunia, dan ia belum pernah lagi belajar bagaimana berkelakuan baik.

The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump Which well you may see at the Zoo; But uglier yet is the hump we get From having too little to do.

PUNUK Unta adalah benjolan buruk rupa Yang bisa kau lihat jelas di Kebun Binatang; Tapi lebih buruk lagi punuk yang kita dapat Karena terlalu sedikit yang kita kerjakan.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo, If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue!

Anak-anak dan orang dewasa juga-uga-uga, Kalau kita tak punya cukup kerjaan-aan-aan, Kita dapat punuk itu— Punuk keunta-untaan— Punuk yang lebam biru kehitaman!

We climb out of bed with a frouzly head And a snarly-yarly voice. We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl At our bath and our boots and our toys;

Kita bangkit dari ranjang dengan kepala acak-acakan Dan suara menggerutu tak keruan. Kita menggigil dan cemberut serta mendengus dan menggeram Pada mandi dan sepatu bot dan mainan kita;

And there ought to be a corner for me (And I know there is one for you) When we get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue!

Dan seharusnya ada sudut untukku (Dan aku tahu ada satu untukmu juga) Ketika kita dapat punuk itu— Punuk keunta-untaan— Punuk yang lebam biru kehitaman!

The cure for this ill is not to sit still, Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also, And dig till you gently perspire;

Obat untuk penyakit ini bukanlah duduk diam, Atau bermalas dengan buku di dekat api; Tapi ambillah cangkul besar dan sekop juga, Dan galilah sampai kau berkeringat perlahan;

And then you will find that the sun and the wind. And the Djinn of the Garden too, Have lifted the hump— The horrible hump— The hump that is black and blue!

Dan kemudian kau akan mendapati bahwa matahari dan angin, Dan sang Jin Taman itu juga, Telah mengangkat punuk itu— Punuk yang mengerikan— Punuk yang lebam biru kehitaman!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo— If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo— We all get hump— Cameelious hump— Kiddies and grown-ups too!

Aku pun mendapatkannya sama sepertimu-u-u— Kalau aku tak punya cukup kerjaan-aan-aan— Kita semua dapat punuk— Punuk keunta-untaan— Anak-anak dan orang dewasa juga!

Open in the Storyteller app Get it on Google Play