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martes, 2 de noviembre de 2021
El tiempo futuro en inglés
El tiempo futuro no es un tiempo gramatical en inglés. Este tiempo no existe como tal en la lengua inglesa, pero se construye con diferentes palabras. Por ejemplo con WILL, que es la forma más común de expresar el futuro. También hay que ir a por el futuro inmediato. A veces incluso utilizamos el tiempo presente para hablar del futuro. Por ejemplo: What are you doing tomorrow?
Will
Construcción:
La palabra will es un modal. Es la palabra más común para hablar en tiempo futuro. Una frase en tiempo futuro con will se construye de la siguiente manera:
Sujeto + WILL + Base Verbal.
I will cook for lunch. Voy a cocinar para el almuerzo.
Después de WILL, como después de todos los modales, los verbos son INVARIABLES, y nunca se poneTO.
Forma negativa :
I will not cook for lunch.
I won’t cook for lunch. (forma contraída).
Forma interrogativa:
La voluntad toma el papel de auxiliar, por lo que no son necesarios los auxiliares hacer, tener o ser.
Will you cook for lunch?
¿Cuándo se usa?
Will se utiliza para hablar de un futuro casi seguro (por ejemplo: I will be 30 next year).
También se utiliza para enfatizar la expresión de la voluntad. Implica que la decisión se acaba de tomar. (Si la decisión es anterior al momento de hablar, no se suele usar).
Ejemplo: I will have an ice coffe. Tomaré un café con hielo.
Be going to + Verbo
I am going to write. - Voy a escribir.
I am going to run soon. - Voy a correr pronto.
También se utiliza para hacer predicciones basadas en pistas presentes. Por ejemplo: Be careful, you’re going to burnt! - ¡Ten cuidado, te vas a quemar!
Por último, se utiliza cuando la decisión se ha tomado antes del momento de hablar (a diferencia de la voluntad, que se utiliza para expresar una decisión que se acaba de tomar). Por ejemplo: I am going to take a coffee cup.
Por último, be going to + verbo puede utilizarse cuando se da una orden, o se utiliza una forma de autoridad.
Now you’re going to get in the bus and leave this village as soon as you can. Ahora vas a subir al autobús y dejar este pueblo tan pronto como puedas.
Ten en cuenta que en el lenguaje coloquial, going to se dice a veces gonna. Por ejemplo: You’re gonna go - o - you gonna go.
Otras formas de hablar en el futuro:
A veces se utiliza el presente para hablar en futuro.
Ejemplo: The train arrives today at 5pm. El barco llega hoy a las 17 horas.
Hablar de una acción que realmente está a punto de ocurrir.
Hello? Good morning Cris, I was just about to call you! - Hola? Buenos días Cris, ¡estaba a punto de llamarte!
🔆 También te puede interesar:
- Cómo preguntar y expresar la posesión en inglés
- Cómo usar May y might - Verbos modales
- Conditionals in English - El condicional en Inglés
- Adjetivos y pronombres demostrativos en Inglés
- Pronombres Posesivos en inglés - Possessive Pronouns
- Adjetivos Posesivos en Inglés - Possessive adjectives
- ¿Cómo aprender inglés fácil y desde casa?
- Plural de los sustantivos en inglés
- Many more, a lot more y Much more. Usos en inglés
- ¿Qué son los phrasal verbs en inglés? Los más usados
- Cómo expresar opiniones en inglés
- Uso de whose en inglés - Pronombres relativos
- Who, which y that - Pronombres Relativos en inglés
- Was going to - El futuro en el pasado
- DO y MAKE en inglés ¿Cuáles son las diferencias?
- Cuándo usar Since, For, Ago: ¿Cuáles son las diferencias?
- The Gerund - El gerundio en inglés
- El Imperativo en Inglés - Imperative
- El comparativo y el superlativo en inglés
- Preguntas con WH-Questions 01 - What, where, why, who
- Preguntas con WH-Questions 02 - When, Which, Whose, How
- Cómo expresar cantidades en inglés
- Adjectives - Los Adjetivos en Inglés
- Uso de some / any acompañando nombres contables/incontables
- Modal verbs - Verbos modales en inglés
- El tiempo futuro en inglés
- Present Perfect Progressive - Presente perfecto progresivo
- Present perfect - El presente perfecto inglés
- Pretérito progresivo o continuo en inglés
- Simple past - El pretérito o pasado simple en inglés
- Presente continuo - Forma Afirmativa - English grammar
- Presente continuo - Forma Negativa
- Puntuación en inglés - All about punctuation in English
- Los verbos Auxiliares en inglés - Auxiliary Verbs
- Verbos irregulares en inglés, la lista que debes conocer
- Cómo decir la fecha en inglés - How to say the date in English
- Construir frases simples - To build a simple sentence
- Nombres contables e incontables en inglés
- Presente continuo - Forma Interrogativa
- Cómo Preguntar y decir el precio en inglés
Dictates in English - Textos para dictados en Inglés - 11
Recursos educativos en inglés. Textos en inglés, idóneos para dictados y traducciones. Ideal para aprender inglés, practicar vocabulario, pronunciación y mucho más, de una manera divertida.
Vincent cannot use public transport because of the strikes. Everything is blocked: there are no trains, buses or underground. It's bad luck because today he has to replace someone at the cultural centre. Fortunately, one of his friends can lend him his motorbike.
---
Julian watches television for two hours a day and goes to the cinema often. Last month he went four times. He never plays sports but sometimes plays video games with his friends. He goes every day to visit his grandmother who lives near him. He brings her flowers from time to time. When they see each other, they always discuss politics.
---
Julie is walking down the street, she stops and looks at a shop, she seems to like what she sees. In the window, there is some jewellery. A woman comes out of the shop and Julie enters right after. In the shop there is only one saleswoman. Julie goes to her and she tells her that she does not want to buy anything and that she is a saleswoman. She shows the young saleswoman the accessories created by her young friends. The saleswoman doesn't look enthusiastic, but this doesn't discourage Julie. She keeps smiling and does everything she can to get the salesgirl to agree to show her boss a few accessories. Finally, Julie leaves a couple of things with her and asks her for directions to another shop. The saleswoman kindly explains the way and Julie leaves.
---
At the market, at the cheese shop, I bought half a pound of butter, a farm camembert, a litre of milk and a pot of fresh cream. At the greengrocer's I bought two melons, a kilo of tomatoes, a pound of green beans and a tub of strawberries. At the butcher's I bought three slices of ham, some pâté and a nice entrecote. I also went to the supermarket to buy a packet of yeast, a packet of flour and a bottle of fruit juice.
---
Melanie used to have short hair, she always wore cheerful dresses and she loved to go shopping. When she was a student, she regularly went to a small shop near her university. She always found something: colourful T-shirts, nice skirts, colourful jumpers, scarves of all colours: red, green, yellow, orange, purple... But one day, Melanie had to change everything. Now she has long hair, wears strict dresses, black or grey suits, white blouses, plain jumpers and very classic shoes. She has become a lawyer and loves her new life.
---
La secrétaire est restée au bureau toute la journée. Son supérieur hiérarchique ne se plaint jamais d’elle. Elle ne manque pas de dynamisme. Elle a remis de l’ordre sur son bureau, elle a envoyé des fax et répondu au courrier. Elle a pris plusieurs rendez-vous pour le directeur. Elle a préparé les photocopies pour les participants à la réunion de l’après-midi. Elle a remis des dossiers au chef du personnel, elle a rempli des formulaires et elle a rédigé plusieurs commentaires sur son rapport hebdomadaire. Enfin, elle s’est occupée du nouveau stagiaire et elle lui a expliqué le fonctionnement de l’entreprise ainsi que le règlement intérieur.
---
Living in the countryside has many advantages. There is almost no pollution. There are not many cars so there are no traffic jams. Life is healthier, the air is clean and life is cheaper than in the city.
There are also many advantages to living in the city: there are jobs, theatres, cinemas, a rich cultural life. In the city there are shops, you can easily meet other people and the best schools for your children are in the city.
---
Nao never complains, she is not a complainer. She has a good job, she designs scarves for a fashion company. She has been learning French for several years. Nao has been studying French for almost four years. She speaks very well but she would like to make more progress and improve her French. She is very interested in art, French culture, cinema and gastronomy. She lives in Annecy, Haute-Savoie. Her favourite dish is tartiflette. It is a dish made with potatoes, bacon and cheese.
---
Mr Dutemps is an antique dealer. He has an antique shop in the suburbs of Paris. He lives in a very nice neighbourhood. His parents ran the shop before him and so Mr Dutemps has lived there all his life. He specialises in the Art Deco period. He sells furniture, paintings, vases and his shop is very tastefully decorated: on the walls of his shop there are flower scarves created by young Parisian artists.
---
Julie went to the university party. She stayed quite late. There were lots of people at the party. Her teachers were there too. The atmosphere was very nice and the discussions very interesting. Julie talked about her courses. When she got home, it was after eight o'clock and cold. On her way home she found some keys on the road. She took them and brought them to the police the next day.
---
Jacques is clumsy. He sings like a saucepan. He can't make a omelette, he sucks at maths and he drives like a foot. Paul is the opposite. He is very clever. He's incredibly talented. He sings like a tenor. As for cooking, he's a real cordon bleu. He's a head for maths and he's an ace at driving.
---
This year again, more than three thousand museums have decided to stay open at night for "Museum Night", a celebration created by the Ministry of Culture in 2005. This event includes art museums, archaeological museums, history museums, castles, etc. Programmes specially designed for the evening have been devised. This year, in Mulhouse, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is organising a treasure hunt, and in Dax the Musée de Borda is organising a treasure hunt. For those who are not afraid of anything, the archaeological museum of Nice proposes to visit its collection of sarcophagi in the dark with only a torch for illumination. One last original initiative: the Departmental Museum of Flanders in Cassel offers the possibility of visiting in sign language.
- How long has the Museum Night been going on?
- Where does the treasure hunt take place?
- What does the Nice Archaeological Museum offer?
- Which museum offers a visit in sign language?
---
To celebrate Christmas, we decorate the tree and the house with garlands, stars and baubles bought at the Christmas market. Sometimes an advent calendar is hung on the living room wall.
On Christmas Eve, children think of Father Christmas, his sleigh, reindeer, elves... In the evening, Christian families go to church to attend midnight mass.
For the New Year's Eve meal, the family is reunited and the meal is delicious. Often, poultry is prepared: a turkey or a chicken. The grown-ups tell their memories of Christmas to the little ones who listen, thinking of their many presents.
🔆 Otros textos para dictados en inglés
Past perfect - El pasado perfecto o pluscuamperfecto
El pasado perfecto o pretérito pluscuamperfecto en inglés
El pasado perfecto, también llamado pluscuamperfecto, es un tiempo pasado que se construye con el auxiliar HAVE. Su construcción es bastante similar a la del presente perfecto, excepto que aquí se utiliza HAD (HAVE en el pretérito) + participio pasado.
Construcción del pasado perfecto en inglés
La construcción de este tiempo es, por tanto, : HAD + participio pasado
Louise had told us not to be late. Louise nos había dicho que no llegáramos tarde.
Somebody had left the window open. Alguien había dejado la ventana abierta.
If I had known, I wouldn’t have come. Si lo hubiera sabido, no habría venido.
¿Cuándo se usa?
El pasado perfecto expresa una conexión entre un momento del pasado y otro momento aún más lejano. Es el "pasado en el pasado".
Es una especie de "tiempo pasado de la narración", que se utiliza cuando toda la historia está en tiempo pasado y se quiere hablar de una acción aún más en el pasado.
Por ejemplo:
Last month, my mother wasn't at home, so I organised a party with my colleagues. My mother HAD TOLD me not to invite colleagues at home, but I didn’t care, and I invited them anyway. - El mes pasado, mi madre no estaba en casa, así que organicé una fiesta con mis amigos. Mi madre me dijo que no invitara a mis amigos, pero no me importó y los invité de todos modos.
“My mother had told me…” es una acción que tuvo lugar más allá de la organización de la fiesta. Por lo tanto, se utiliza el pasado perfecto.
Otro ejemplo: He said that he had never been so happier. - Dijo que nunca había sido tan feliz.
Ten en cuenta que el pasado perfecto no es el tiempo pasado más utilizado en inglés. A diferencia del pretérito y el presente perfecto, se puede mantener una conversación básica sin saberlo de memoria.
🔆 También te puede interesar:
- Cómo preguntar y expresar la posesión en inglés
- Cómo usar May y might - Verbos modales
- Conditionals in English - El condicional en Inglés
- Adjetivos y pronombres demostrativos en Inglés
- Pronombres Posesivos en inglés - Possessive Pronouns
- Adjetivos Posesivos en Inglés - Possessive adjectives
- ¿Cómo aprender inglés fácil y desde casa?
- Plural de los sustantivos en inglés
- Many more, a lot more y Much more. Usos en inglés
- ¿Qué son los phrasal verbs en inglés? Los más usados
- Cómo expresar opiniones en inglés
- Uso de whose en inglés - Pronombres relativos
- Who, which y that - Pronombres Relativos en inglés
- Was going to - El futuro en el pasado
- DO y MAKE en inglés ¿Cuáles son las diferencias?
- Cuándo usar Since, For, Ago: ¿Cuáles son las diferencias?
- The Gerund - El gerundio en inglés
- El Imperativo en Inglés - Imperative
- El comparativo y el superlativo en inglés
- Preguntas con WH-Questions 01 - What, where, why, who
- Preguntas con WH-Questions 02 - When, Which, Whose, How
- Cómo expresar cantidades en inglés
- Adjectives - Los Adjetivos en Inglés
- Uso de some / any acompañando nombres contables/incontables
- Modal verbs - Verbos modales en inglés
- El tiempo futuro en inglés
- Present Perfect Progressive - Presente perfecto progresivo
- Present perfect - El presente perfecto inglés
- Pretérito progresivo o continuo en inglés
- Simple past - El pretérito o pasado simple en inglés
- Presente continuo - Forma Afirmativa - English grammar
- Presente continuo - Forma Negativa
- Puntuación en inglés - All about punctuation in English
- Los verbos Auxiliares en inglés - Auxiliary Verbs
- Verbos irregulares en inglés, la lista que debes conocer
- Cómo decir la fecha en inglés - How to say the date in English
- Construir frases simples - To build a simple sentence
- Nombres contables e incontables en inglés
- Presente continuo - Forma Interrogativa
- Cómo Preguntar y decir el precio en inglés
lunes, 1 de noviembre de 2021
Why is All Saints' Day celebrated? - Día de Todos los santos
All Saints' Day
On 1 November, All Saints' Day is celebrated in various parts of the world, a Catholic date that seeks to pay tribute to all the saints who have existed throughout history and even those souls who have already passed through purgatory and are in the kingdom of heaven.
Why is All Saints' Day celebrated?
The early church used to celebrate the day of the death of a martyr who gave his life for the work of God.
But as time went by and especially after the Diocletian Persecution, also known as the Great Persecution, where a huge number of Christians died at the hands of the Roman army, the Church had to group its martyrs into one feast day.
The first celebration of a day for All Saints dates back to Antioch on the Sunday before the feast of Pentecost during Easter. Another mention of a common day to pay homage to the saints is mentioned in the sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian dating from 373, but only to the martyrs and St. John the Baptist.
It was not until the year 731 that Pope Gregory III consecrated St. Peter's Basilica to all the saints and established the feast on 1 November.
How All Saints Day is celebrated around the world
Although All Saints' Day is a solemn date, the tradition has been somewhat distorted over the centuries and each country or region of the world celebrates it in a very different way.
- In Latin America it is customary to visit the graves of ancestors and in countries such as Mexico, not only do people visit, but they also have a picnic around the grave, put on masks, colourful ribbons and even cook exclusive dishes for that day. The aim of this is to remember the dead and to celebrate that on this day the mantle to the world of the souls is much thinner and they are allowed to be with the living.
- In the United States and other countries, this date has been diluted with Halloween, which in turn is the modern interpretation of a pagan holiday known as "Samhain". It is a festival in honour of the harvest and also marks the end of the year. In ancient times, winter marked the end of everything. But as a curious fact, this end of the year also represents the exact moment when the boundaries of the physical world and the spiritual world open, allowing communication between the living and the dead.
- In other regions of the world, such as Asia, ancestors are worshipped and in the Philippines, huge banquets are also held in cemeteries in honour of the dead.
In Spain, on the other hand, although the dead are visited, it is also a tradition to present José Zorrilla's play "Don Juan Tenorio" in theatres.
Recursos y materiales gratis en inglés, para Halloween 🎃
- The Samain, ancestor of Halloween and All Saints' Day
- Discover the legend of Jack O'Lantern
- What are the symbols of Halloween?
- The Halloween costume, a thousand-year-old tradition
- The true story of Halloween
Activity ideas to prepare your Halloween night! A night that can give you chills.
- Poesías en Inglés para Halloween - poems for Halloween
- Canciones en Inglés para Halloween - Songs in English for Halloween
- Cuentos en Inglés para Halloween - Stories in English for Halloween
- Fichas en Inglés Halloween - Worksheets in English for Halloween
- Flashcards en Inglés para Halloween - Flashcards in English for Halloween
- Halloween recipes - Recetas para Halloween
- Halloween Jokes for Kids - Humor in English
- Dibujos en Inglés para colorear Halloween - Coloring sheets for Halloween in English
- Cartel en Inglés Halloween - Halloween poster
- Sopas de letras en Inglés Halloween - Wordsearches for Halloween
- Bingos en Inglés Halloween - Bingos in English for Halloween
- Recursos Educativos Halloween en español
A Kidnapped Santa Claus - L. Frank Baum - Cuentos Navidad
Recursos Educativos en Inglés - Stories in English
Cuentos clásicos en Inglés
A Kidnapped Santa Claus - L. Frank Baum - Cuentos de Navidad en inglés
Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the big, rambling castle in which his toys are manufactured. His workmen, selected from the ryls, knooks, pixies and fairies, live with him, and every one is as busy as can be from one year's end to another.
It is called the Laughing Valley because everything there is happy and gay. The brook chuckles to itself as it leaps rollicking between its green banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees; the sunbeams dance lightly over the soft grass, and the violets and wild flowers look smilingly up from their green nests. To laugh one needs to be happy; to be happy one needs to be content. And throughout the Laughing Valley of Santa Claus contentment reigns supreme.
On one side is the mighty Forest of Burzee. At the other side stands the huge mountain that contains the Caves of the Daemons. And between them the Valley lies smiling and peaceful.
One would think that our good old Santa Claus, who devotes his days to making children happy, would have no enemies on all the earth; and, as a matter of fact, for a long period of time he encountered nothing but love wherever he might go.
But the Daemons who live in the mountain caves grew to hate Santa Claus very much, and all for the simple reason that he made children happy.
The Caves of the Daemons are five in number. A broad pathway leads up to the first cave, which is a finely arched cavern at the foot of the mountain, the entrance being beautifully carved and decorated. In it resides the Daemon of Selfishness. Back of this is another cavern inhabited by the Daemon of Envy. The cave of the Daemon of Hatred is next in order, and through this one passes to the home of the Daemon of Malice -- situated in a dark and fearful cave in the very heart of the mountain. I do not know what lies beyond this. Some say there are terrible pitfalls leading to death and destruction, and this may very well be true. However, from each one of the four caves mentioned there is a small, narrow tunnel leading to the fifth cave -- a cozy little room occupied by the Daemon of Repentance. And as the rocky floors of these passages are well worn by the track of passing feet, I judge that many wanderers in the Caves of the Daemons have escaped through the tunnels to the abode of the Daemon of Repentance, who is said to be a pleasant sort of fellow who gladly opens for one a little door admitting you into fresh air and sunshine again.
Well, these Daemons of the Caves, thinking they had great cause to dislike old Santa Claus, held a meeting one day to discuss the matter.
"I'm really getting lonesome," said the Daemon of Selfishness. "For Santa Claus distributes so many pretty Christmas gifts to all the children that they become happy and generous, through his example, and keep away from my cave."
"I'm having the same trouble," rejoined the Daemon of Envy. "The little ones seem quite content with Santa Claus, and there are few, indeed, that I can coax to become envious."
"And that makes it bad for me!" declared the Daemon of Hatred. "For if no children pass through the Caves of Selfishness and Envy, none can get to MY cavern."
"Or to mine," added the Daemon of Malice.
"For my part," said the Daemon of Repentance, "it is easily seen that if children do not visit your caves they have no need to visit mine; so that I am quite as neglected as you are."
"And all because of this person they call Santa Claus!" exclaimed the Daemon of Envy. "He is simply ruining our business, and something must be done at once."
To this they readily agreed; but what to do was another and more difficult matter to settle. They knew that Santa Claus worked all through the year at his castle in the Laughing Valley, preparing the gifts he was to distribute on Christmas Eve; and at first they resolved to try to tempt him into their caves, that they might lead him on to the terrible pitfalls that ended in destruction.
So the very next day, while Santa Claus was busily at work, surrounded by his little band of assistants, the Daemon of Selfishness came to him and said:
"These toys are wonderfully bright and pretty. Why do you not keep them for yourself? It's a pity to give them to those noisy boys and fretful girls, who break and destroy them so quickly."
"Nonsense!" cried the old graybeard, his bright eyes twinkling merrily as he turned toward the tempting Daemon. "The boys and girls are never so noisy and fretful after receiving my presents, and if I can make them happy for one day in the year I am quite content."
So the Daemon went back to the others, who awaited him in their caves, and said:
"I have failed, for Santa Claus is not at all selfish."
The following day the Daemon of Envy visited Santa Claus. Said he: "The toy shops are full of playthings quite as pretty as those you are making. What a shame it is that they should interfere with your business! They make toys by machinery much quicker than you can make them by hand; and they sell them for money, while you get nothing at all for your work."
But Santa Claus refused to be envious of the toy shops.
"I can supply the little ones but once a year -- on Christmas Eve," he answered; "for the children are many, and I am but one. And as my work is one of love and kindness I would be ashamed to receive money for my little gifts. But throughout all the year the children must be amused in some way, and so the toy shops are able to bring much happiness to my little friends. I like the toy shops, and am glad to see them prosper."
In spite of the second rebuff, the Daemon of Hatred thought he would try to influence Santa Claus. So the next day he entered the busy workshop and said:
"Good morning, Santa! I have bad news for you."
"Then run away, like a good fellow," answered Santa Claus. "Bad news is something that should be kept secret and never told."
"You cannot escape this, however," declared the Daemon; "for in the world are a good many who do not believe in Santa Claus, and these you are bound to hate bitterly, since they have so wronged you."
"Stuff and rubbish!" cried Santa.
"And there are others who resent your making children happy and who sneer at you and call you a foolish old rattlepate! You are quite right to hate such base slanderers, and you ought to be revenged upon them for their evil words."
"But I don't hate 'em!" exclaimed Santa Claus positively. "Such people do me no real harm, but merely render themselves and their children unhappy. Poor things! I'd much rather help them any day than injure them."
Indeed, the Daemons could not tempt old Santa Claus in any way. On the contrary, he was shrewd enough to see that their object in visiting him was to make mischief and trouble, and his cheery laughter disconcerted the evil ones and showed to them the folly of such an undertaking. So they abandoned honeyed words and determined to use force.
It was well known that no harm can come to Santa Claus while he is in the Laughing Valley, for the fairies, and ryls, and knooks all protect him. But on Christmas Eve he drives his reindeer out into the big world, carrying a sleighload of toys and pretty gifts to the children; and this was the time and the occasion when his enemies had the best chance to injure him. So the Daemons laid their plans and awaited the arrival of Christmas Eve.
The moon shone big and white in the sky, and the snow lay crisp and sparkling on the ground as Santa Claus cracked his whip and sped away out of the Valley into the great world beyond. The roomy sleigh was packed full with huge sacks of toys, and as the reindeer dashed onward our jolly old Santa laughed and whistled and sang for very joy. For in all his merry life this was the one day in the year when he was happiest -- the day he lovingly bestowed the treasures of his workshop upon the little children.
It would be a busy night for him, he well knew. As he whistled and shouted and cracked his whip again, he reviewed in mind all the towns and cities and farmhouses where he was expected, and figured that he had just enough presents to go around and make every child happy. The reindeer knew exactly what was expected of them, and dashed along so swiftly that their feet scarcely seemed to touch the snow-covered ground.
Suddenly a strange thing happened: a rope shot through the moonlight and a big noose that was in the end of it settled over the arms and body of Santa Claus and drew tight. Before he could resist or even cry out he was jerked from the seat of the sleigh and tumbled head foremost into a snowbank, while the reindeer rushed onward with the load of toys and carried it quickly out of sight and sound.
Such a surprising experience confused old Santa for a moment, and when he had collected his senses he found that the wicked Daemons had pulled him from the snowdrift and bound him tightly with many coils of the stout rope. And then they carried the kidnapped Santa Claus away to their mountain, where they thrust the prisoner into a secret cave and chained him to the rocky wall so that he could not escape.
"Ha, ha!" laughed the Daemons, rubbing their hands together with cruel glee. "What will the children do now? How they will cry and scold and storm when they find there are no toys in their stockings and no gifts on their Christmas trees! And what a lot of punishment they will receive from their parents, and how they will flock to our Caves of Selfishness, and Envy, and Hatred, and Malice! We have done a mighty clever thing, we Daemons of the Caves!"
Now it so chanced that on this Christmas Eve the good Santa Claus had taken with him in his sleigh Nuter the Ryl, Peter the Knook, Kilter the Pixie, and a small fairy named Wisk -- his four favorite assistants. These little people he had often found very useful in helping him to distribute his gifts to the children, and when their master was so suddenly dragged from the sleigh they were all snugly tucked underneath the seat, where the sharp wind could not reach them.
The tiny immortals knew nothing of the capture of Santa Claus until some time after he had disappeared. But finally they missed his cheery voice, and as their master always sang or whistled on his journeys, the silence warned them that something was wrong.
Little Wisk stuck out his head from underneath the seat and found Santa Claus gone and no one to direct the flight of the reindeer.
"Whoa!" he called out, and the deer obediently slackened speed and came to a halt.
Peter and Nuter and Kilter all jumped upon the seat and looked back over the track made by the sleigh. But Santa Claus had been left miles and miles behind.
"What shall we do?" asked Wisk anxiously, all the mirth and mischief banished from his wee face by this great calamity.
"We must go back at once and find our master," said Nuter the Ryl, who thought and spoke with much deliberation.
"No, no!" exclaimed Peter the Knook, who, cross and crabbed though he was, might always be depended upon in an emergency. "If we delay, or go back, there will not be time to get the toys to the children before morning; and that would grieve Santa Claus more than anything else."
"It is certain that some wicked creatures have captured him," added Kilter thoughtfully, "and their object must be to make the children unhappy. So our first duty is to get the toys distributed as carefully as if Santa Claus were himself present. Afterward we can search for our master and easily secure his freedom."
This seemed such good and sensible advice that the others at once resolved to adopt it. So Peter the Knook called to the reindeer, and the faithful animals again sprang forward and dashed over hill and valley, through forest and plain, until they came to the houses wherein children lay sleeping and dreaming of the pretty gifts they would find on Christmas morning.
The little immortals had set themselves a difficult task; for although they had assisted Santa Claus on many of his journeys, their master had always directed and guided them and told them exactly what he wished them to do. But now they had to distribute the toys according to their own judgment, and they did not understand children as well as did old Santa. So it is no wonder they made some laughable errors.
Mamie Brown, who wanted a doll, got a drum instead; and a drum is of no use to a girl who loves dolls. And Charlie Smith, who delights to romp and play out of doors, and who wanted some new rubber boots to keep his feet dry, received a sewing box filled with colored worsteds and threads and needles, which made him so provoked that he thoughtlessly called our dear Santa Claus a fraud.
Had there been many such mistakes the Daemons would have accomplished their evil purpose and made the children unhappy. But the little friends of the absent Santa Claus labored faithfully and intelligently to carry out their master's ideas, and they made fewer errors than might be expected under such unusual circumstances.
And, although they worked as swiftly as possible, day had begun to break before the toys and other presents were all distributed; so for the first time in many years the reindeer trotted into the Laughing Valley, on their return, in broad daylight, with the brilliant sun peeping over the edge of the forest to prove they were far behind their accustomed hours.
Having put the deer in the stable, the little folk began to wonder how they might rescue their master; and they realized they must discover, first of all, what had happened to him and where he was.
So Wisk the Fairy transported himself to the bower of the Fairy Queen, which was located deep in the heart of the Forest of Burzee; and once there, it did not take him long to find out all about the naughty Daemons and how they had kidnapped the good Santa Claus to prevent his making children happy. The Fairy Queen also promised her assistance, and then, fortified by this powerful support, Wisk flew back to where Nuter and Peter and Kilter awaited him, and the four counseled together and laid plans to rescue their master from his enemies.
It is possible that Santa Claus was not as merry as usual during the night that succeeded his capture. For although he had faith in the judgment of his little friends he could not avoid a certain amount of worry, and an anxious look would creep at times into his kind old eyes as he thought of the disappointment that might await his dear little children. And the Daemons, who guarded him by turns, one after another, did not neglect to taunt him with contemptuous words in his helpless condition.
When Christmas Day dawned the Daemon of Malice was guarding the prisoner, and his tongue was sharper than that of any of the others.
"The children are waking up, Santa!" he cried. "They are waking up to find their stockings empty! Ho, ho! How they will quarrel, and wail, and stamp their feet in anger! Our caves will be full today, old Santa! Our caves are sure to be full!"
But to this, as to other like taunts, Santa Claus answered nothing. He was much grieved by his capture, it is true; but his courage did not forsake him. And, finding that the prisoner would not reply to his jeers, the Daemon of Malice presently went away, and sent the Daemon of Repentance to take his place.
This last personage was not so disagreeable as the others. He had gentle and refined features, and his voice was soft and pleasant in tone.
"My brother Daemons do not trust me overmuch," said he, as he entered the cavern; "but it is morning, now, and the mischief is done. You cannot visit the children again for another year."
"That is true," answered Santa Claus, almost cheerfully; "Christmas Eve is past, and for the first time in centuries I have not visited my children."
"The little ones will be greatly disappointed," murmured the Daemon of Repentance, almost regretfully; "but that cannot be helped now. Their grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful, and if they come to the Caves of the Daemons today I shall get a chance to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance."
"Do you never repent, yourself?" asked Santa Claus, curiously.
"Oh, yes, indeed," answered the Daemon. "I am even now repenting that I assisted in your capture. Of course it is too late to remedy the evil that has been done; but repentance, you know, can come only after an evil thought or deed, for in the beginning there is nothing to repent of."
"So I understand," said Santa Claus. "Those who avoid evil need never visit your cave."
"As a rule, that is true," replied the Daemon; "yet you, who have done no evil, are about to visit my cave at once; for to prove that I sincerely regret my share in your capture I am going to permit you to escape."
This speech greatly surprised the prisoner, until he reflected that it was just what might be expected of the Daemon of Repentance. The fellow at once busied himself untying the knots that bound Santa Claus and unlocking the chains that fastened him to the wall. Then he led the way through a long tunnel until they both emerged in the Cave of Repentance.
"I hope you will forgive me," said the Daemon pleadingly. "I am not really a bad person, you know; and I believe I accomplish a great deal of good in the world."
With this he opened a back door that let in a flood of sunshine, and Santa Claus sniffed the fresh air gratefully.
"I bear no malice," said he to the Daemon, in a gentle voice; "and I am sure the world would be a dreary place without you. So, good morning, and a Merry Christmas to you!"
With these words he stepped out to greet the bright morning, and a moment later he was trudging along, whistling softly to himself, on his way to his home in the Laughing Valley.
Marching over the snow toward the mountain was a vast army, made up of the most curious creatures imaginable. There were numberless knooks from the forest, as rough and crooked in appearance as the gnarled branches of the trees they ministered to. And there were dainty ryls from the fields, each one bearing the emblem of the flower or plant it guarded. Behind these were many ranks of pixies, gnomes and nymphs, and in the rear a thousand beautiful fairies floated along in gorgeous array.
This wonderful army was led by Wisk, Peter, Nuter, and Kilter, who had assembled it to rescue Santa Claus from captivity and to punish the Daemons who had dared to take him away from his beloved children.
And, although they looked so bright and peaceful, the little immortals were armed with powers that would be very terrible to those who had incurred their anger. Woe to the Daemons of the Caves if this mighty army of vengeance ever met them!
But lo! coming to meet his loyal friends appeared the imposing form of Santa Claus, his white beard floating in the breeze and his bright eyes sparkling with pleasure at this proof of the love and veneration he had inspired in the hearts of the most powerful creatures in existence.
And while they clustered around him and danced with glee at his safe return, he gave them earnest thanks for their support. But Wisk, and Nuter, and Peter, and Kilter, he embraced affectionately.
"It is useless to pursue the Daemons," said Santa Claus to the army. "They have their place in the world, and can never be destroyed. But that is a great pity, nevertheless," he continued musingly.
So the fairies, and knooks, and pixies, and ryls all escorted the good man to his castle, and there left him to talk over the events of the night with his little assistants.
Wisk had already rendered himself invisible and flown through the big world to see how the children were getting along on this bright Christmas morning; and by the time he returned, Peter had finished telling Santa Claus of how they had distributed the toys.
"We really did very well," cried the fairy, in a pleased voice; "for I found little unhappiness among the children this morning. Still, you must not get captured again, my dear master; for we might not be so fortunate another time in carrying out your ideas."
He then related the mistakes that had been made, and which he had not discovered until his tour of inspection. And Santa Claus at once sent him with rubber boots for Charlie Smith, and a doll for Mamie Brown; so that even those two disappointed ones became happy.
As for the wicked Daemons of the Caves, they were filled with anger and chagrin when they found that their clever capture of Santa Claus had come to naught. Indeed, no one on that Christmas Day appeared to be at all selfish, or envious, or hateful. And, realizing that while the children's saint had so many powerful friends it was folly to oppose him, the Daemons never again attempted to interfere with his journeys on Christmas Eve.
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The Fir Tree - Hans Christian Andersen - Cuentos Navidad
Recursos Educativos en Inglés - Stories in English - Cuentos de navidad en inglés
Cuentos clásicos en Inglés
The Fir Tree - Hans Christian Andersen - El Abeto, en inglés
Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir Tree. The place he had was a very good one: the sun shone on him: as to fresh air, there was enough of that, and round him grew many large-sized comrades, pines as well as firs. But the little Fir wanted so very much to be a grown-up tree.
He did not think of the warm sun and of the fresh air; he did not care for the little cottage children that ran about and prattled when they were in the woods looking for wild-strawberries. The children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries, or a long row of them threaded on a straw, and sat down near the young tree and said, "Oh, how pretty he is! What a nice little fir!" But this was what the Tree could not bear to hear.
At the end of a year he had shot up a good deal, and after another year he was another long bit taller; for with fir trees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are.
"Oh! Were I but such a high tree as the others are," sighed he. "Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world! Then would the birds build nests among my branches: and when there was a breeze, I could bend with as much stateliness as the others!"
Neither the sunbeams, nor the birds, nor the red clouds which morning and evening sailed above him, gave the little Tree any pleasure.
In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare would often come leaping along, and jump right over the little Tree. Oh, that made him so angry! But two winters were past, and in the third the Tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go round it. "To grow and grow, to get older and be tall," thought the Tree --"that, after all, is the most delightful thing in the world!"
In autumn the wood-cutters always came and felled some of the largest trees. This happened every year; and the young Fir Tree, that had now grown to a very comely size, trembled at the sight; for the magnificent great trees fell to the earth with noise and cracking, the branches were lopped off, and the trees looked long and bare; they were hardly to be recognised; and then they were laid in carts, and the horses dragged them out of the wood.
Where did they go to? What became of them?
In spring, when the swallows and the storks came, the Tree asked them, "Don't you know where they have been taken? Have you not met them anywhere?"
The swallows did not know anything about it; but the Stork looked musing, nodded his head, and said, "Yes; I think I know; I met many ships as I was flying hither from Egypt; on the ships were magnificent masts, and I venture to assert that it was they that smelt so of fir. I may congratulate you, for they lifted themselves on high most majestically!"
"Oh, were I but old enough to fly across the sea! But how does the sea look in reality? What is it like?"
"That would take a long time to explain," said the Stork, and with these words off he went.
"Rejoice in thy growth!" said the Sunbeams. "Rejoice in thy vigorous growth, and in the fresh life that moveth within thee!"
And the Wind kissed the Tree, and the Dew wept tears over him; but the Fir understood it not.
When Christmas came, quite young trees were cut down: trees which often were not even as large or of the same age as this Fir Tree, who could never rest, but always wanted to be off. These young trees, and they were always the finest looking, retained their branches; they were laid on carts, and the horses drew them out of the wood.
"Where are they going to?" asked the Fir. "They are not taller than I; there was one indeed that was considerably shorter; and why do they retain all their branches? Whither are they taken?"
"We know! We know!" chirped the Sparrows. "We have peeped in at the windows in the town below! We know whither they are taken! The greatest splendor and the greatest magnificence one can imagine await them. We peeped through the windows, and saw them planted in the middle of the warm room and ornamented with the most splendid things, with gilded apples, with gingerbread, with toys, and many hundred lights!
"And then?" asked the Fir Tree, trembling in every bough. "And then? What happens then?"
"We did not see anything more: it was incomparably beautiful."
"I would fain know if I am destined for so glorious a career," cried the Tree, rejoicing. "That is still better than to cross the sea! What a longing do I suffer! Were Christmas but come! I am now tall, and my branches spread like the others that were carried off last year! Oh! were I but already on the cart! Were I in the warm room with all the splendor and magnificence! Yes; then something better, something still grander, will surely follow, or wherefore should they thus ornament me? Something better, something still grander must follow -- but what? Oh, how I long, how I suffer! I do not know myself what is the matter with me!"
"Rejoice in our presence!" said the Air and the Sunlight. "Rejoice in thy own fresh youth!"
But the Tree did not rejoice at all; he grew and grew, and was green both winter and summer. People that saw him said, "What a fine tree!" and towards Christmas he was one of the first that was cut down. The axe struck deep into the very pith; the Tree fell to the earth with a sigh; he felt a pang -- it was like a swoon; he could not think of happiness, for he was sorrowful at being separated from his home, from the place where he had sprung up. He well knew that he should never see his dear old comrades, the little bushes and flowers around him, anymore; perhaps not even the birds! The departure was not at all agreeable.
The Tree only came to himself when he was unloaded in a court-yard with the other trees, and heard a man say, "That one is splendid! We don't want the others." Then two servants came in rich livery and carried the Fir Tree into a large and splendid drawing-room. Portraits were hanging on the walls, and near the white porcelain stove stood two large Chinese vases with lions on the covers. There, too, were large easy-chairs, silken sofas, large tables full of picture-books and full of toys, worth hundreds and hundreds of crowns -- at least the children said so. And the Fir Tree was stuck upright in a cask that was filled with sand; but no one could see that it was a cask, for green cloth was hung all round it, and it stood on a large gaily-colored carpet. Oh! how the Tree quivered! What was to happen? The servants, as well as the young ladies, decorated it. On one branch there hung little nets cut out of colored paper, and each net was filled with sugarplums; and among the other boughs gilded apples and walnuts were suspended, looking as though they had grown there, and little blue and white tapers were placed among the leaves. Dolls that looked for all the world like men -- the Tree had never beheld such before -- were seen among the foliage, and at the very top a large star of gold tinsel was fixed. It was really splendid -- beyond description splendid.
"This evening!" they all said. "How it will shine this evening!"
"Oh!" thought the Tree. "If the evening were but come! If the tapers were but lighted! And then I wonder what will happen! Perhaps the other trees from the forest will come to look at me! Perhaps the sparrows will beat against the windowpanes! I wonder if I shall take root here, and winter and summer stand covered with ornaments!"
He knew very much about the matter -- but he was so impatient that for sheer longing he got a pain in his back, and this with trees is the same thing as a headache with us.
The candles were now lighted -- what brightness! What splendor! The Tree trembled so in every bough that one of the tapers set fire to the foliage. It blazed up famously.
"Help! Help!" cried the young ladies, and they quickly put out the fire.
Now the Tree did not even dare tremble. What a state he was in! He was so uneasy lest he should lose something of his splendor, that he was quite bewildered amidst the glare and brightness; when suddenly both folding-doors opened and a troop of children rushed in as if they would upset the Tree. The older persons followed quietly; the little ones stood quite still. But it was only for a moment; then they shouted that the whole place re-echoed with their rejoicing; they danced round the Tree, and one present after the other was pulled off.
"What are they about?" thought the Tree. "What is to happen now!" And the lights burned down to the very branches, and as they burned down they were put out one after the other, and then the children had permission to plunder the Tree. So they fell upon it with such violence that all its branches cracked; if it had not been fixed firmly in the ground, it would certainly have tumbled down.
The children danced about with their beautiful playthings; no one looked at the Tree except the old nurse, who peeped between the branches; but it was only to see if there was a fig or an apple left that had been forgotten.
"A story! A story!" cried the children, drawing a little fat man towards the Tree. He seated himself under it and said, "Now we are in the shade, and the Tree can listen too. But I shall tell only one story. Now which will you have; that about Ivedy-Avedy, or about Humpy-Dumpy, who tumbled downstairs, and yet after all came to the throne and married the princess?"
"Ivedy-Avedy," cried some; "Humpy-Dumpy," cried the others. There was such a bawling and screaming -- the Fir Tree alone was silent, and he thought to himself, "Am I not to bawl with the rest? Am I to do nothing whatever?" for he was one of the company, and had done what he had to do.
And the man told about Humpy-Dumpy that tumbled down, who notwithstanding came to the throne, and at last married the princess. And the children clapped their hands, and cried. "Oh, go on! Do go on!" They wanted to hear about Ivedy-Avedy too, but the little man only told them about Humpy-Dumpy. The Fir Tree stood quite still and absorbed in thought; the birds in the wood had never related the like of this. "Humpy-Dumpy fell downstairs, and yet he married the princess! Yes, yes! That's the way of the world!" thought the Fir Tree, and believed it all, because the man who told the story was so good-looking. "Well, well! who knows, perhaps I may fall downstairs, too, and get a princess as wife! And he looked forward with joy to the morrow, when he hoped to be decked out again with lights, playthings, fruits, and tinsel.
"I won't tremble to-morrow!" thought the Fir Tree. "I will enjoy to the full all my splendor! To-morrow I shall hear again the story of Humpy-Dumpy, and perhaps that of Ivedy-Avedy too." And the whole night the Tree stood still and in deep thought.
In the morning the servant and the housemaid came in.
"Now then the splendor will begin again," thought the Fir. But they dragged him out of the room, and up the stairs into the loft: and here, in a dark corner, where no daylight could enter, they left him. "What's the meaning of this?" thought the Tree. "What am I to do here? What shall I hear now, I wonder?" And he leaned against the wall lost in reverie. Time enough had he too for his reflections; for days and nights passed on, and nobody came up; and when at last somebody did come, it was only to put some great trunks in a corner, out of the way. There stood the Tree quite hidden; it seemed as if he had been entirely forgotten.
"'Tis now winter out-of-doors!" thought the Tree. "The earth is hard and covered with snow; men cannot plant me now, and therefore I have been put up here under shelter till the spring-time comes! How thoughtful that is! How kind man is, after all! If it only were not so dark here, and so terribly lonely! Not even a hare! And out in the woods it was so pleasant, when the snow was on the ground, and the hare leaped by; yes -- even when he jumped over me; but I did not like it then! It is really terribly lonely here!"
"Squeak! Squeak!" said a little Mouse, at the same moment, peeping out of his hole. And then another little one came. They snuffed about the Fir Tree, and rustled among the branches.
"It is dreadfully cold," said the Mouse. "But for that, it would be delightful here, old Fir, wouldn't it?"
"I am by no means old," said the Fir Tree. "There's many a one considerably older than I am."
"Where do you come from," asked the Mice; "and what can you do?" They were so extremely curious. "Tell us about the most beautiful spot on the earth. Have you never been there? Were you never in the larder, where cheeses lie on the shelves, and hams hang from above; where one dances about on tallow candles: that place where one enters lean, and comes out again fat and portly?"
"I know no such place," said the Tree. "But I know the wood, where the sun shines and where the little birds sing." And then he told all about his youth; and the little Mice had never heard the like before; and they listened and said,
"Well, to be sure! How much you have seen! How happy you must have been!"
"I!" said the Fir Tree, thinking over what he had himself related. "Yes, in reality those were happy times." And then he told about Christmas-eve, when he was decked out with cakes and candles.
"Oh," said the little Mice, "how fortunate you have been, old Fir Tree!"
"I am by no means old," said he. "I came from the wood this winter; I am in my prime, and am only rather short for my age."
"What delightful stories you know," said the Mice: and the next night they came with four other little Mice, who were to hear what the Tree recounted: and the more he related, the more he remembered himself; and it appeared as if those times had really been happy times. "But they may still come -- they may still come! Humpy-Dumpy fell downstairs, and yet he got a princess!" and he thought at the moment of a nice little Birch Tree growing out in the woods: to the Fir, that would be a real charming princess.
"Who is Humpy-Dumpy?" asked the Mice. So then the Fir Tree told the whole fairy tale, for he could remember every single word of it; and the little Mice jumped for joy up to the very top of the Tree. Next night two more Mice came, and on Sunday two Rats even; but they said the stories were not interesting, which vexed the little Mice; and they, too, now began to think them not so very amusing either.
"Do you know only one story?" asked the Rats.
"Only that one," answered the Tree. "I heard it on my happiest evening; but I did not then know how happy I was."
"It is a very stupid story! Don't you know one about bacon and tallow candles? Can't you tell any larder stories?"
"No," said the Tree.
"Then good-bye," said the Rats; and they went home.
At last the little Mice stayed away also; and the Tree sighed: "After all, it was very pleasant when the sleek little Mice sat round me, and listened to what I told them. Now that too is over. But I will take good care to enjoy myself when I am brought out again."
But when was that to be? Why, one morning there came a quantity of people and set to work in the loft. The trunks were moved, the tree was pulled out and thrown -- rather hard, it is true -- down on the floor, but a man drew him towards the stairs, where the daylight shone.
"Now a merry life will begin again," thought the Tree. He felt the fresh air, the first sunbeam -- and now he was out in the courtyard. All passed so quickly, there was so much going on around him, the Tree quite forgot to look to himself. The court adjoined a garden, and all was in flower; the roses hung so fresh and odorous over the balustrade, the lindens were in blossom, the Swallows flew by, and said, "Quirre-vit! My husband is come!" but it was not the Fir Tree that they meant.
"Now, then, I shall really enjoy life," said he exultingly, and spread out his branches; but, alas, they were all withered and yellow! It was in a corner that he lay, among weeds and nettles. The golden star of tinsel was still on the top of the Tree, and glittered in the sunshine.
In the court-yard some of the merry children were playing who had danced at Christmas round the Fir Tree, and were so glad at the sight of him. One of the youngest ran and tore off the golden star.
"Only look what is still on the ugly old Christmas tree!" said he, trampling on the branches, so that they all cracked beneath his feet.
And the Tree beheld all the beauty of the flowers, and the freshness in the garden; he beheld himself, and wished he had remained in his dark corner in the loft; he thought of his first youth in the wood, of the merry Christmas-eve, and of the little Mice who had listened with so much pleasure to the story of Humpy-Dumpy.
"'Tis over -- 'tis past!" said the poor Tree. "Had I but rejoiced when I had reason to do so! But now 'tis past, 'tis past!"
And the gardener's boy chopped the Tree into small pieces; there was a whole heap lying there. The wood flamed up splendidly under the large brewing copper, and it sighed so deeply! Each sigh was like a shot.
The boys played about in the court, and the youngest wore the gold star on his breast which the Tree had had on the happiest evening of his life. However, that was over now -- the Tree gone, the story at an end. All, all was over -- every tale must end at last.
🔆 Christmas Stories 🎅🤶🎄
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