A História do Pequeno Polegar

Nos dias do grande Príncipe Arthur, vivia um poderoso mago chamado Merlin, o encantador mais sábio e habilidoso que o mundo já viu.

In the days of the great Prince Arthur, there lived a mighty magician, called Merlin, the most learned and skilful enchanter the world has ever seen.

Esse famoso mago, que podia tomar a forma que quisesse, viajava como um pobre mendigo e, como estava muito cansado, parou na cabana de um lavrador para descansar e pediu um pouco de comida.

This famous magician, who could take any form he pleased, was travelling about as a poor beggar, and being very tired, he stopped at the cottage of a ploughman to rest himself, and asked for some food.

O homem do campo lhe deu as boas-vindas, e a sua esposa, que era uma mulher de coração muito bom, logo lhe trouxe um pouco de leite em uma tigela de madeira e pão marrom caseiro em um prato.

The countryman bade him welcome, and his wife, who was a very good-hearted woman, soon brought him some milk in a wooden bowl, and some coarse brown bread on a platter.

Merlin ficou muito contente com a gentileza do lavrador e da sua esposa; mas não pôde deixar de notar que, embora tudo fosse arrumado e confortável na cabana, os dois pareciam muito tristes.

Merlin was much pleased with the kindness of the ploughman and his wife; but he could not help noticing that though everything was neat and comfortable in the cottage, they seemed both to be very unhappy.

Ele então lhes perguntou por que estavam tão melancólicos, e soube que eram infelizes porque não tinham filhos.

He therefore asked them why they were so melancholy, and learned that they were miserable because they had no children.

A pobre mulher disse, com lágrimas nos olhos: “Eu seria a criatura mais feliz do mundo se tivesse um filho; mesmo que ele não fosse maior que o polegar do meu marido, eu ficaria satisfeita.”

The poor woman said, with tears in her eyes: “I should be the happiest creature in the world if I had a son; although he was no bigger than my husband’s thumb, I would be satisfied.”

Merlin achou tanta graça na ideia de um menino não maior que o polegar de um homem, que decidiu realizar o desejo da pobre mulher. Por isso, pouco tempo depois, a esposa do lavrador teve um filho que, coisa maravilhosa de se contar!

Merlin was so much amused with the idea of a boy no bigger than a man’s thumb, that he determined to grant the poor woman’s wish. Accordingly, in a short time after, the ploughman’s wife had a son, who, wonderful to relate!

não era nem um pouco maior que o polegar do pai.

was not a bit bigger than his father’s thumb.

A rainha das fadas, querendo ver o rapazinho, entrou pela janela enquanto a mãe estava sentada na cama, admirando o filho.

The queen of the fairies, wishing to see the little fellow, came in at the window while the mother was sitting up in the bed admiring him.

A rainha beijou a criança e, dando a ela o nome de Pequeno Polegar, mandou chamar algumas fadas, que vestiram o seu pequeno afilhado de acordo com as ordens dela:

The queen kissed the child, and, giving it the name of Tom Thumb, sent for some of the fairies, who dressed her little godson according to her orders:

“Um chapéu de folha de carvalho era a sua coroa; Sua camisa, de teia que a aranha teceu; Com casaco feito de pluma de cardo; Suas calças de penas ele recebeu.

“An oak-leaf hat he had for his crown; His shirt of web by spiders spun; With jacket wove of thistle’s down; His trowsers were of feathers done.

Suas meias de casca de maçã eles amarram Com o cílio que do olho da mãe tiraram; Seus sapatos eram feitos de pele de rato, Curtidos com os pelos macios por dentro.”

His stockings, of apple-rind, they tie With eyelash from his mother’s eye His shoes were made of mouse’s skin, Tann’d with the downy hair within.”

Tom nunca ficou maior do que o polegar do pai, que tinha apenas o tamanho comum; mas, à medida que crescia, ficava muito esperto e cheio de travessuras.

Tom never grew any larger than his father’s thumb, which was only of ordinary size; but as he got older he became very cunning and full of tricks.

Quando ficou grande o bastante para brincar com os meninos e tinha perdido todos os seus caroços de cereja, ele costumava entrar de mansinho nos sacos dos colegas, encher os bolsos e, saindo sem que eles notassem, voltava a participar do jogo.

When he was old enough to play with the boys, and had lost all his own cherry-stones, he used to creep into the bags of his playfellows, fill his pockets, and, getting out without their noticing him, would again join in the game.