El rey Canuto a la orilla del mar

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 ni crueles como lo habían sido cuando estaban en guerra con el rey Alfredo.

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.

Los grandes hombres y oficiales que rodeaban al rey Canuto siempre lo estaban alabando.

The great men and officers who were around King Canute were always praising him.

“Usted es el hombre más grande que jamás haya existido”, decía uno.

“You are the greatest man that ever lived,” one would say.

Luego otro decía: “¡Oh, rey! nunca podrá haber otro hombre tan poderoso como usted”.

Then another would say, “O king! there can never be another man so mighty as you.”

Y otro decía: “Gran Canuto, no hay nada en el mundo que se atreva a desobedecerle”.

And another would say, “Great Canute, there is nothing in the world that dares to disobey you.”

El rey era un hombre sensato y se cansó mucho de escuchar discursos tan necios.

The king was a man of sense, and he grew very tired of hearing such foolish speeches.

Un día estaba a la orilla del mar y sus oficiales estaban con él. Lo estaban alabando, como solían hacer.

One day he was by the seashore, and his officers were with him. They were praising him, as they were in the habit of doing.

Pensó que ahora les daría una lección, así que les ordenó que colocaran su silla en la playa, cerca de la orilla del agua.

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.

“¿Soy el hombre más grande del mundo?”, preguntó.

“Am I the greatest man in the world?” he asked.

“¡Oh, rey!”, exclamaron, “no hay nadie tan poderoso como usted”.

“O king!” they cried, “there is no one so mighty as you.”

“¿Obedecen todas las cosas mis órdenes?”, preguntó.

“Do all things obey me?” he asked.

“¡No hay nada que se atreva a desobedecerle, oh rey!”, dijeron. “El mundo se inclina ante usted y le rinde honores”.

“There is nothing that dares to disobey you, O king!” they said. “The world bows before you, and gives you honor.”

“¿Obedecerá el mar mis órdenes?”, preguntó; y miró hacia las pequeñas olas que bañaban la arena a sus pies.

“Will the sea obey me?” he asked; and he looked down at the little waves which were lapping the sand at his feet.

Los necios oficiales estaban desconcertados, pero no se atrevieron a decir “no”.

The foolish officers were puzzled, but they did not dare to say “No.”