Why the Bear is Stumpy-Tailed
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A cunning fox tricks a bear into fishing with his own tail through a hole in the ice, with a very cold and short-tailed result.
One day the Bear met the Fox, who came slinking along with a string of fish he had stolen.
Suatu hari Beruang bertemu dengan Rubah, yang datang menyelinap membawa seuntai ikan yang telah ia curi.
“Whence did you get those from?” asked the Bear.
"Dari mana kau mendapatkan ikan-ikan itu?" tanya Beruang.
“Oh! my Lord Bruin, I’ve been out fishing and caught them”, said the Fox.
"Oh! Tuanku Bruin, aku sedang memancing dan berhasil menangkapnya," kata Rubah.
So the Bear had a mind to learn to fish too, and bade the Fox tell him how he was to set about it.
Maka Beruang pun berniat belajar memancing juga, dan meminta Rubah memberitahunya bagaimana caranya.
“Oh! it’s an easy craft for you”, answered the Fox, “and soon learnt. You’ve only got to go upon the ice, and cut a hole and stick your tail down into it; and so you must go on holding it there as long as you can. You’re not to mind if your tail smarts a little; that’s when the fish bite. The longer you hold it there the more fish you’ll get; and then all at once out with it, with a cross pull sideways, and with a strong pull too.”
"Oh! itu keahlian yang mudah bagimu," jawab Rubah, "dan cepat dipelajari. Kau hanya perlu pergi ke atas es, membuat sebuah lubang, dan mencelupkan ekormu ke dalamnya; lalu kau harus terus memegangnya di sana selama mungkin yang kau bisa. Jangan pedulikan jika ekormu terasa sedikit perih; itu tandanya ikan sedang menggigit. Semakin lama kau menahannya di sana, semakin banyak ikan yang kau dapat; dan lalu tarik sekaligus, dengan sentakan menyilang ke samping, dan dengan tarikan yang kuat pula."
Yes; the Bear did as the Fox had said, and held his tail a long, long time down in the hole, till it was fast frozen in. Then he pulled it out with a cross pull, and it snapped short off. That’s why Bruin goes about with a stumpy tail this very day.
Ya; Beruang melakukan seperti yang dikatakan Rubah, dan menahan ekornya lama, sangat lama, di dalam lubang itu, sampai ekornya membeku kencang di dalamnya. Kemudian ia menariknya keluar dengan sentakan menyilang, dan ekornya patah begitu saja. Itulah sebabnya Bruin berjalan dengan ekor yang buntung hingga hari ini.
