Los tres hombres de Gotham

Hay un pueblo en Inglaterra llamado Gotham, y se cuentan muchas historias alegres sobre la gente peculiar que solía vivir allí.

There is a town in England called Gotham, and many merry stories are told of the queer people who used to live there.

Un día, dos hombres de Gotham se encontraron en un puente. Hodge venía del mercado y Peter iba al mercado.

One day two men of Gotham met on a bridge. Hodge was coming from the market, and Peter was going to the market.

—¿A dónde vas? —dijo Hodge.

“Where are you going?” said Hodge.

—Voy al mercado a comprar ovejas —dijo Peter.

“I am going to the market to buy sheep,” said Peter.

¿Comprar ovejas? —dijo Hodge—. ¿Y por qué camino las llevarás a casa?

“Buy sheep?” said Hodge. “And which way will you bring them home?”

—Las traeré por este puente —dijo Peter.

“I shall bring them over this bridge,” said Peter.

—No, no lo harás —dijo Hodge.

“No, you shall not,” said Hodge.

—Sí, lo haré —dijo Peter.

“Yes, but I will,” said Peter.

—No lo harás —dijo Hodge.

“You shall not,” said Hodge.

—Lo haré —dijo Peter.

“I will,” said Peter.

Entonces golpearon el suelo con sus bastones como si hubiera habido cien ovejas entre ellos.

Then they beat with their sticks on the ground as though there had been a hundred sheep between them.

—¡Cuidado! —gritó Peter—. ¡Ten cuidado de que mis ovejas no salten sobre el puente!

“Take care!” cried Peter. “Look out that my sheep don’t jump on the bridge.”

—No me importa dónde salten —dijo Hodge—, pero no pasarán por él.

“I care not where they jump,” said Hodge; “but they shall not go over it.”

—Pero sí pasarán —dijo Peter.

“But they shall,” said Peter.