The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Benjamin Bunny sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden to help his frightened cousin Peter recover the clothes he lost — and finds a very large cat waiting between them and the way out.
One morning a little rabbit sat on a bank.
Certa manhã, um coelhinho estava sentado num barranco.
He pricked his ears and listened to the trit-trot, trit-trot of a pony.
Ele arrebitou as orelhas e escutou o trit-trote, trit-trote de um pônei.
A gig was coming along the road; it was driven by Mr. McGregor, and beside him sat Mrs. McGregor in her best bonnet.
Uma charrete vinha pela estrada; era conduzida pelo Sr. McGregor, e ao lado dele estava sentada a Sra. McGregor, com sua melhor touca.
As soon as they had passed, little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the road, and set off—with a hop, skip, and a jump—to call upon his relations, who lived in the wood at the back of Mr. McGregor's garden.
Assim que eles passaram, o pequeno Benjamin Bunny escorregou até a estrada, e saiu — pulando, saltitando e brincando — para visitar seus parentes, que viviam no bosque atrás do jardim do Sr. McGregor.
That wood was full of rabbit holes; and in the neatest, sandiest hole of all lived Benjamin's aunt and his cousins—Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.
Aquele bosque estava cheio de tocas de coelho; e na mais arrumada e mais arenosa toca de todas viviam a tia de Benjamin e seus primos — Flopsy, Mopsy, Rabo-de-Algodão e Pedro.
Old Mrs. Rabbit was a widow; she earned her living by knitting rabbit-wool mittens and muffatees (I once bought a pair at a bazaar). She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).
A velha Sra. Coelho era viúva; ganhava a vida tricotando mitenes e luvinhas de lã de coelho (eu mesma comprei um par certa vez numa feira beneficente). Ela também vendia ervas, chá de alecrim, e fumo de coelho (que é como chamamos a lavanda).
Little Benjamin did not very much want to see his Aunt.
O pequeno Benjamin não estava muito a fim de ver sua tia.
He came round the back of the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled upon the top of his Cousin Peter.
Ele contornou os fundos do pinheiro, e quase caiu em cima de seu primo Pedro.
Peter was sitting by himself. He looked poorly, and was dressed in a red cotton pocket-handkerchief.
Pedro estava sentado sozinho. Parecia mal, e estava vestido com um lenço de bolso de algodão vermelho.
"Peter," said little Benjamin, in a whisper, "who has got your clothes?"
— Pedro — disse o pequeno Benjamin, num sussurro —, quem ficou com suas roupas?
Peter replied, "The scarecrow in Mr. McGregor's garden," and described how he had been chased about the garden, and had dropped his shoes and coat.
Pedro respondeu: — O espantalho no jardim do Sr. McGregor — e descreveu como tinha sido perseguido pelo jardim todo, e tinha perdido seus sapatos e seu casaco.
Little Benjamin sat down beside his cousin and assured him that Mr. McGregor had gone out in a gig, and Mrs. McGregor also; and certainly for the day, because she was wearing her best bonnet.
O pequeno Benjamin sentou-se ao lado do primo e o tranquilizou dizendo que o Sr. McGregor tinha saído numa charrete, e a Sra. McGregor também; e certamente pelo dia todo, porque ela estava usando sua melhor touca.
Peter said he hoped that it would rain.
Pedro disse que esperava que chovesse.
At this point old Mrs. Rabbit's voice was heard inside the rabbit hole, calling: "Cotton-tail! Cotton-tail! fetch some more camomile!"
Nesse momento ouviu-se a voz da velha Sra. Coelho de dentro da toca, chamando: — Rabo-de-Algodão! Rabo-de-Algodão! traga mais camomila!
Peter said he thought he might feel better if he went for a walk.
Pedro disse que achava que se sentiria melhor se fosse dar uma volta.
They went away hand in hand, and got upon the flat top of the wall at the bottom of the wood. From here they looked down into Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter's coat and shoes were plainly to be seen upon the scarecrow, topped with an old tam-o'-shanter of Mr. McGregor's.
Eles se foram de mãos dadas, e subiram no topo plano do muro no fundo do bosque. Dali olharam para baixo, para o jardim do Sr. McGregor. O casaco e os sapatos de Pedro estavam bem visíveis no espantalho, coroado com uma velha boina escocesa do Sr. McGregor.
Little Benjamin said: "It spoils people's clothes to squeeze under a gate; the proper way to get in is to climb down a pear-tree."
O pequeno Benjamin disse: — Estragar as roupas espremendo-se por baixo de um portão não é bom; o jeito certo de entrar é descer por uma pereira.
Peter fell down head first; but it was of no consequence, as the bed below was newly raked and quite soft.
Pedro caiu de cabeça; mas não teve importância, pois o canteiro embaixo tinha sido recém-revirado e estava bem macio.
It had been sown with lettuces.
Tinha sido semeado com alfaces.
They left a great many odd little footmarks all over the bed, especially little Benjamin, who was wearing clogs.
Deixaram muitas marcas estranhas de pegadas por todo o canteiro, especialmente o pequeno Benjamin, que estava usando tamancos.
Little Benjamin said that the first thing to be done was to get back Peter's clothes, in order that they might be able to use the pocket-handkerchief.
O pequeno Benjamin disse que a primeira coisa a fazer era recuperar as roupas de Pedro, para que pudessem usar o lenço de bolso.
They took them off the scarecrow. There had been rain during the night; there was water in the shoes, and the coat was somewhat shrunk.
Eles as tiraram do espantalho. Tinha chovido durante a noite; havia água nos sapatos, e o casaco tinha encolhido um pouco.
Benjamin tried on the tam-o'-shanter, but it was too big for him.
Benjamin experimentou a boina escocesa, mas era grande demais para ele.
Then he suggested that they should fill the pocket-handkerchief with onions, as a little present for his Aunt.
Então sugeriu que enchessem o lenço de bolso com cebolas, como um pequeno presente para sua tia.
Peter did not seem to be enjoying himself; he kept hearing noises.
Pedro não parecia estar se divertindo; vivia ouvindo ruídos.
Benjamin, on the contrary, was perfectly at home, and ate a lettuce leaf. He said that he was in the habit of coming to the garden with his father to get lettuces for their Sunday dinner.
Benjamin, ao contrário, estava perfeitamente à vontade, e comeu uma folha de alface. Disse que costumava vir ao jardim com o pai para pegar alfaces para o jantar de domingo.
(The name of little Benjamin's papa was old Mr. Benjamin Bunny.)
(O nome do papai do pequeno Benjamin era o velho Sr. Benjamin Bunny.)
The lettuces certainly were very fine.
As alfaces eram realmente muito boas.
Peter did not eat anything; he said he should like to go home. Presently he dropped half the onions.
Pedro não comeu nada; disse que gostaria de ir para casa. Logo depois, deixou cair metade das cebolas.
Little Benjamin said that it was not possible to get back up the pear-tree with a load of vegetables. He led the way boldly towards the other end of the garden. They went along a little walk on planks, under a sunny, red brick wall.
O pequeno Benjamin disse que não era possível subir de volta pela pereira com uma carga de legumes. Ele seguiu corajosamente na frente, em direção ao outro extremo do jardim. Andaram por uma trilhazinha de tábuas, sob um muro de tijolos vermelhos e ensolarado.
The mice sat on their doorsteps cracking cherry-stones; they winked at Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin Bunny.
As ratas estavam sentadas em suas soleiras quebrando caroços de cereja; piscaram para Pedro Coelho e o pequeno Benjamin Bunny.
Presently Peter let the pocket-handkerchief go again.
Logo depois, Pedro deixou o lenço de bolso cair de novo.
They got amongst flower-pots, and frames, and tubs. Peter heard noises worse than ever; his eyes were as big as lolly-pops!
Chegaram perto de vasos de flores, estufas e tinas. Pedro ouviu ruídos piores do que nunca; seus olhos estavam do tamanho de pirulitos!
He was a step or two in front of his cousin when he suddenly stopped.
Ele estava um ou dois passos à frente do primo quando de repente parou.
This is what those little rabbits saw round that corner!
Foi isso que os coelhinhos viram ao virar aquela esquina!
Little Benjamin took one look, and then, in half a minute less than no time, he hid himself and Peter and the onions underneath a large basket…
O pequeno Benjamin deu uma olhada, e então, em menos da metade de meio segundo, escondeu a si mesmo, e a Pedro, e as cebolas debaixo de uma cesta grande…
The cat got up and stretched herself, and came and sniffed at the basket.
A gata se levantou e se espreguiçou, e veio cheirar a cesta.
Perhaps she liked the smell of onions!
Talvez ela gostasse do cheiro de cebola!
Anyway, she sat down upon the top of the basket.
De qualquer forma, ela se sentou em cima da cesta.
She sat there for _five hours_.
Ela ficou sentada ali por _cinco horas_.
I cannot draw you a picture of Peter and Benjamin underneath the basket, because it was quite dark, and because the smell of onions was fearful; it made Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin cry.
Não posso lhes desenhar uma imagem de Pedro e Benjamin debaixo da cesta, porque estava bem escuro, e porque o cheiro de cebola era terrível; fez Pedro Coelho e o pequeno Benjamin chorarem.
The sun got round behind the wood, and it was quite late in the afternoon; but still the cat sat upon the basket.
O sol contornou o bosque, e já era bem tarde da tarde; mas a gata continuava sentada na cesta.
At length there was a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and some bits of mortar fell from the wall above.
Por fim ouviu-se um tique-taque, tique-taque, e alguns pedaços de argamassa caíram do muro acima.
The cat looked up and saw old Mr. Benjamin Bunny prancing along the top of the wall of the upper terrace.
A gata olhou para cima e viu o velho Sr. Benjamin Bunny saltitando pelo topo do muro do terraço superior.
He was smoking a pipe of rabbit-tobacco, and had a little switch in his hand.
Ele estava fumando um cachimbo de fumo de coelho, e tinha uma varinha na mão.
He was looking for his son.
Estava procurando seu filho.
Old Mr. Bunny had no opinion whatever of cats.
O velho Sr. Bunny não tinha nenhuma consideração por gatas.
He took a tremendous jump off the top of the wall on to the top of the cat, and cuffed it off the basket, and kicked it into the greenhouse, scratching off a handful of fur.
Ele deu um pulo tremendo do topo do muro direto em cima da gata, e a golpeou para fora da cesta com uma bofetada, e a chutou para dentro da estufa, arrancando um punhado de pelo.
The cat was too much surprised to scratch back.
A gata ficou surpresa demais para revidar com as garras.
When old Mr. Bunny had driven the cat into the greenhouse, he locked the door.
Quando o velho Sr. Bunny empurrou a gata para dentro da estufa, ele trancou a porta.
Then he came back to the basket and took out his son Benjamin by the ears, and whipped him with the little switch.
Depois voltou até a cesta e tirou seu filho Benjamin pelas orelhas, e o açoitou com a varinha.
Then he took out his nephew Peter.
Depois tirou seu sobrinho Pedro.
Then he took out the handkerchief of onions, and marched out of the garden.
Depois pegou o lenço de cebolas, e saiu marchando do jardim.
When Mr. McGregor returned about half an hour later he observed several things which perplexed him.
Quando o Sr. McGregor voltou cerca de meia hora depois, notou várias coisas que o deixaram perplexo.
It looked as though some person had been walking all over the garden in a pair of clogs—only the footmarks were too ridiculously little!
Parecia que alguém tinha andado por todo o jardim usando um par de tamancos — só que as pegadas eram ridiculamente pequenas demais!
Also he could not understand how the cat could have managed to shut herself up _inside_ the greenhouse, locking the door upon the _outside_.
Além disso, ele não conseguia entender como a gata tinha conseguido se trancar dentro da estufa, trancando a porta por fora.
When Peter got home his mother forgave him, because she was so glad to see that he had found his shoes and coat. Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief, and old Mrs. Rabbit strung up the onions and hung them from the kitchen ceiling, with the bunches of herbs and the rabbit-tobacco.
Quando Pedro chegou em casa, sua mãe o perdoou, porque ficou tão feliz em ver que ele tinha recuperado os sapatos e o casaco. Rabo-de-Algodão e Pedro dobraram o lenço de bolso, e a velha Sra. Coelho amarrou as cebolas e as pendurou no teto da cozinha, junto com os molhos de ervas e o fumo de coelho.
