Frederick and Catherine


Federico y Catalinita


There was once on a time a man who was called Frederick and a woman called Catherine, who had married each other and lived together as young married folks. One day Frederick said, "I will now go and plough, Catherine; when I come back, there must be some roast meat on the table for hunger, and a fresh draught for thirst." - "Just go, Frederick," answered Kate, "just go, I will have all ready for you." Therefore when dinner-time drew near she got a sausage out of the chimney, put it in the frying-pan, put some butter to it, and set it on the fire. The sausage began to fry and to hiss, Catherine stood beside it and held the handle of the pan, and had her own thoughts as she was doing it. Then it occurred to her, "While the sausage is getting done thou couldst go into the cellar and draw beer." So she set the frying-pan safely on the fire, took a can, and went down into the cellar to draw beer. The beer ran into the can and Kate watched it, and then she thought, "Oh, dear! The dog upstairs is not fastened up, it might get the sausage out of the pan. Well thought of." And in a trice she was up the cellar-steps again, but the Spitz had the sausage in its mouth already, and trailed it away on the ground. But Catherine, who was not idle, set out after it, and chased it a long way into the field; the dog, however, was swifter than Catherine and did not let the sausage journey easily, but skipped over the furrows with it. "What's gone is gone!" said Kate, and turned round, and as she had run till she was weary, she walked quietly and comfortably, and cooled herself. During this time the beer was still running out of the cask, for Kate had not turned the tap. And when the can was full and there was no other place for it, it ran into the cellar and did not stop until the whole cask was empty. As soon as Kate was on the steps she saw the mischance. "Good gracious!" she cried. "What shall I do now to stop Frederick knowing it!" She thought for a while, and at last she remembered that up in the garret was still standing a sack of the finest wheat flour from the last fair, and she would fetch that down and strew it over the beer. "Yes," said she, "he who saves a thing when he ought, has it afterwards when he needs it," and she climbed up to the garret and carried the sack below, and threw it straight down on the can of beer, which she knocked over, and Frederick's draught swam also in the cellar. "It is all right," said Kate, "where the one is the other ought to be also," and she strewed the meal over the whole cellar. When it was done she was heartily delighted with her work, and said, "How clean and wholesome it does look here!"
Había una vez un hombre llamado Federico, y una mujer llamada Catalinita, que acababan de contraer matrimonio y empezaban su vida de casados. Un día dijo el marido: "Catalinita, me voy al campo; cuando vuelva, me tendrás en la mesa un poco de asado para calmar el hambre, y un trago fresco para apagar la sed." - "Márchate tranquilo, que cuidaré de todo." Al acercarse la hora de comer, descolgó la mujer una salchicha de la chimenea, la echó en una sartén, la cubrió de mantequilla y la puso al fuego. La salchicha comenzó a dorarse y hacer ¡chup, chup!, mientras Catalina, sosteniendo el mango de la sartén, dejaba volar sus pensamientos. De pronto se le ocurrió: Mientras se acaba de dorar la salchicha, bajaré a la bodega a preparar la bebida. Dejando, pues, afianzada la sartén, cogió una jarra, bajó a la bodega y abrió la espita de la cerveza; y mientras ésta fluía a la jarra, ella lo miraba. De repente pensó: ¡Caramba! El perro no está atado; si se le ocurre robar la salchicha de la sartén, me habré lucido. Y, en un santiamén, se plantó arriba. Pero ya el chucho tenía la salchicha en la boca y se escapaba con ella, arrastrándola por el suelo. Catalinita, ni corta ni perezosa, se lanzó en su persecución y estuvo corriendo buen rato tras él por el campo; pero el perro, más ligero que Catalinita, sin soltar su presa pronto estuvo fuera de su alcance. "¡Lo perdido, perdido está!" exclamó Catalinita, renunciando a la morcilla; y como se había sofocado y cansado con la carrera, volvióse despacito para refrescarse. Mientras tanto seguía manando la cerveza del barril, pues la mujer se había olvidado de cerrar la espita, y cuando ya la jarra estuvo llena, el líquido empezó a correr por la bodega hasta que el barril quedó vacío. Catalinita vio el desastre desde lo alto de la escalera: "¡Diablos!" exclamó, "¿qué hago yo ahora para que Federico no se dé cuenta?" Después de reflexionar unos momentos, recordó que de la última feria había quedado en el granero un saco de buena harina de trigo; lo mejor sería bajarla y echarla sobre la cerveza. "Quien ahorra a su tiempo, día viene en que se alegra," se dijo; subió al granero, cargó con el saco y lo vació en la bodega, con tan mala suerte que fue a dar precisamente sobre la jarra llena de cerveza, la cual se volcó, perdiéndose incluso la bebida destinada a Federico. "¡Eso es!" exclamó Catalinita; "donde va el uno, que vaya el otro," y esparció la harina por el suelo de la bodega. Cuando hubo terminado, sintióse muy satisfecha de su trabajo y dijo: "¡Qué aseado y limpio queda ahora!"

At mid-day home came Frederick: "Now, wife, what have you ready for me?" - "Ah, Freddy," she answered, "I was frying a sausage for you, but whilst I was drawing the beer to drink with it, the dog took it away out of the pan, and whilst I was running after the dog, all the beer ran out, and whilst I was drying up the beer with the flour, I knocked over the can as well, but be easy, the cellar is quite dry again." Said Frederick, "Kate, Kate, you should not have done that! to let the sausage be carried off and the beer run out of the cask, and throw out all our flour into the bargain!" - "Indeed, Frederick, I did not know that, you should have told me."
A mediodía llegó Federico. "Bien, mujercita, ¿qué me has preparado?" - "¡Ay, Federiquito!" respondió ella, "quise freírte una salchicha, pero mientras bajé por cerveza, el perro me la robó de la sartén, y cuando salí detrás de él, la cerveza se vertió, y al querer secar la cerveza con harina, volqué la jarra. Pero no te preocupes, que la bodega está bien seca. Replicó Federico: "¡Catalinita, no debiste hacer eso! ¡Dejas que te roben la salchicha, que la cerveza se pierda, y aun echas a perder nuestra harina!" - "¡Tienes razón, Federiquito, pero yo no lo sabía! Debiste avisármelo."

The man thought, "If my wife is like this, I must look after things more." Now he had got together a good number of thalers which he changed into gold, and said to Catherine, "Look, these are counters for playing games; I will put them in a pot and bury them in the stable under the cow's manger, but mind you keep away from them, or it will be the worse for you." Said she, "Oh, no, Frederick, I certainly will not go." And when Frederick was gone some pedlars came into the village who had cheap earthen-bowls and pots, and asked the young woman if there was nothing she wanted to bargain with them for? "Oh, dear people," said Catherine, "I have no money and can buy nothing, but if you have any use for yellow counters I will buy of you." - "Yellow counters, why not? But just let us see them." - "Then go into the stable and dig under the cow's manger, and you will find the yellow counters. I am not allowed to go there." The rogues went thither, dug and found pure gold. Then they laid hold of it, ran away, and left their pots and bowls behind in the house. Catherine though she must use her new things, and as she had no lack in the kitchen already without these, she knocked the bottom out of every pot, and set them all as ornaments on the paling which went round about the house. When Frederick came and saw the new decorations, he said, "Catherine, what have you been about?" - "I have bought them, Frederick, for the counters which were under the cow's manger. I did not go there myself, the pedlars had to dig them out for themselves." - "Ah, wife," said Frederick, "what have you done? Those were not counters, but pure gold, and all our wealth; you should not have done that." - "Indeed, Frederick," said she, "I did not know that, you should have forewarned me."
Pensó el hombre: Con una mujer así, habrá que ser más previsor. Tenía ahorrada una bonita suma de ducados; los cambió en oro y dijo a Catalinita: "Mira, eso son chapitas amarillas; las meteré en una olla y las enterraré en el establo, bajo el pesebre de las vacas. Guárdate muy bien de tocarlas, pues, de lo contrario, lo vas a pasar mal." Respondió ella: "No, Federiquito, puedes estar seguro de que no las tocaré." Mas he aquí que cuando Federico se hubo marchado, se presentaron unos buhoneros que vendían escudillas y cacharros de barro, y preguntaron a la joven si necesitaba algunas de sus mercancías. "¡Oh, buena gente!" dijo Catalinita, "no tengo dinero y nada puedo comprar; pero si quisieseis cobrar en chapitas amarillas, sí que os compraría algo." - "Chapitas amarillas, ¿por qué no? Deja que las veamos." - "Bajad al establo y buscad debajo del pesebre de las vacas; las encontraréis allí; yo no puedo tocarlas." Los bribones fueron al establo y, removiendo la tierra, encontraron el oro puro. Cargaron con él y pusieron pies en polvorosa, dejando en la casa su carga de cacharros. Catalinita pensó que debía utilizar aquella alfarería nueva para algo; pero como en la cocina no hacía ninguna falta, rompió el fondo de cada una de las piezas y las colocó todas como adorno en los extremos de las estacas del vallado que rodeaba la casa. Al llegar Federico, sorprendido por aquella nueva ornamentación, dijo: "Catalinita, ¿qué has hecho?" - "Lo he comprado, Federiquito, con las chapitas amarillas que guardaste bajo el pesebre de las vacas. Yo no fui a buscarlas; tuvieron que bajar los mismos buhoneros." - "¡Dios mío!" exclamó Federico, "¡buena la has hecho, mujer! Si no eran chapitas, sino piezas de oro puro; ¡toda nuestra fortuna! ¿Cómo hiciste semejante disparate?" - "Yo no lo sabía, Federiquito. ¿Por qué no me advertiste?"

Catherine stood for a while and bethought to herself; then she said, "Listen, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back again, we will run after the thieves." - "Come, then," said Frederick, "we will try it; but take with you some butter and cheese that we may have something to eat on the way." - "Yes, Frederick, I will take them." They set out, and as Frederick was the better walker, Catherine followed him. "It is to my advantage," thought she, "when we turn back I shall be a little way in advance." Then she came to a hill where there were deep ruts on both sides of the road. "There one can see," said Catherine, "how they have torn and skinned and galled the poor earth, it will never be whole again as long as it lives," and in her heart's compassion she took her butter and smeared the ruts right and left, that they might not be so hurt by the wheels, and as she was thus bending down in her charity, one of the cheeses rolled out of her pocket down the hill. Said Catherine, "I have made my way once up here, I will not go down again; another may run and fetch it back." So she took another cheese and rolled it down. But the cheeses did not come back, so she let a third run down, thinking. "Perhaps they are waiting for company, and do not like to walk alone." As all three stayed away she said, "I do not know what that can mean, but it may perhaps be that the third has not found the way, and has gone wrong, I will just send the fourth to call it." But the fourth did no better than the third. Then Catherine was angry, and threw down the fifth and sixth as well, and these were her last. She remained standing for some time watching for their coming, but when they still did not come, she said, "Oh, you are good folks to send in search of death, you stay a fine long time away! Do you think I will wait any longer for you? I shall go my way, you may run after me; you have younger legs than I." Catherine went on and found Frederick, who was standing waiting for her because he wanted something to eat. "Now just let us have what you have brought with you," said he. She gave him the dry bread. "Where have you the butter and the cheeses?" asked the man. "Ah, Freddy," said Catherine, "I smeared the cart-ruts with the butter and the cheeses will come soon; one ran away from me, so I sent the others after to call it." Said Frederick, "You should not have done that, Catherine, to smear the butter on the road, and let the cheeses run down the hill!" - "Really, Frederick, you should have told me."
Catalinita se quedó un rato pensativa y luego dijo: "Oye, Federiquito, recuperaremos el oro; salgamos detrás de los ladrones." - "Bueno," respondió Federico, "lo intentaremos; llévate pan y queso para que tengamos algo para comer en el camino." - "Sí, Federiquito, lo llevaré." Partieron, y, como Federico era más ligero de piernas, Catalinita iba rezagada. Mejor, pensó, así cuando regresemos tendré menos que andar. Llegaron a una montaña en la que, a ambos lados del camino, discurrían unas profundas roderas. "¡Hay que ver," dijo Catalinita, "cómo han desgarrado, roto y hundido esta pobre tierra! ¡Jamás se repondrá de esto!" Llena de compasión, sacó la mantequilla y se puso a untar las roderas, a derecha e izquierda, para que las ruedas no las oprimiesen tanto. Y, al inclinarse para poner en práctica su caritativa intención, cayóle uno de los quesos y echó a rodar monte abajo. Dijo Catalinita: "Yo no vuelvo a recorrer este camino; soltaré otro que vaya a buscarlo." Y, cogiendo otro queso, lo soltó en pos del primero. Pero como ninguno de los dos volviese, echó un tercero, pensando: Tal vez quieran compañía, y no les guste subir solos. Al no reaparecer ninguno de los tres, dijo ella: "¿Qué querrá decir esto? A lo mejor, el tercero se ha extraviado; echaré el cuarto, que lo busque." Pero el cuarto no se portó mejor que el tercero, y Catalinita, irritada, arrojó el quinto y el sexto, que eran los últimos. Quedóse un rato parada, el oído atento, en espera de que volviesen; pero al cabo, impacientándose, exclamó: "Para ir a buscar a la muerte serviríais. ¡Tanto tiempo, para nada! ¿Pensáis que voy a seguir aguardándoos? Me marcho y ya me alcanzaréis, pues corréis más que yo." Y, prosiguiendo su camino, encontróse luego con Federico, que se había detenido a esperarla, pues tenía hambre. "Dame ya de lo que traes, mujer." Ella le alargó pan solo. "¿Dónde están la mantequilla y el queso." - "¡Ay, Federiquito!" exclamó Catalinita, "con la mantequilla unté los carriles, y los quesos no deberán tardar en volver. Se me escapó uno y solté a los otros en su busca." Y dijo Federico: "No debiste hacerlo, Catalinita." - "Sí, Federiquito, pero, ¿por qué no me avisaste?"

Then they ate the dry bread together, and Frederick said, "Catherine, did you make the house safe when you came away?" - "No, Frederick, you should have told me to do it before." - "Then go home again, and make the house safe before we go any farther, and bring with you something else to eat. I will wait here for you." Catherine went back and thought, "Frederick wants something more to eat, he does not like butter and cheese, so I will take with me a handkerchief full of dried pears and a pitcher of vinegar for him to drink." Then she bolted the upper half of the door fast, but unhinged the lower door, and took it on her back, believing that when she had placed the door in security the house must be well taken care of. Catherine took her time on the way, and thought, "Frederick will rest himself so much the longer." When she had once reached him she said, "Here is the house-door for you, Frederick, and now you can take care of the house yourself." - "Oh, heavens," said he, "what a wise wife I have! She takes the under-door off the hinges that everything may run in, and bolts the upper one. It is now too late to go back home again, but since you have brought the door here, you shall just carry it farther." - "I will carry the door, Frederick, but the dried pears and the vinegar-jug will be too heavy for me, I will hang them on the door, it may carry them."
Comieron juntos el pan seco, y luego Federico dijo: "Catalinita, ¿aseguraste la casa antes de salir?" - "No, Federiquito; como no me lo dijiste." - "Pues vuelve a casa y ciérrala bien antes de seguir adelante; y, además, trae alguna otra cosa para comer; te aguardaré aquí." Catalinita reemprendió el camino de vuelta, pensando: Federiquito quiere comer alguna otra cosa; por lo visto no le gustan el queso y la mantequilla. Le traeré unos orejones en un pañuelo, y un jarro de vinagre para beber. Al llegar a su casa cerró con cerrojo la puerta superior y desmontó la inferior y se la cargó a la espalda, creyendo que, llevándose la puerta, quedaría la casa asegurada. Con toda calma, recorrió de nuevo el camino, pensando: Así, Federiquito podrá descansar más rato. Cuando llegó adonde él la aguardaba, le dijo: "Toma, Federiquito, aquí tienes la puerta; así podrás guardar la casa mejor." - "¡Santo Dios!" exclamó él, "¡y qué mujer más inteligente me habéis dado! Quitas la puerta de abajo para que todo el mundo pueda entrar, y cierras con cerrojo la de arriba. Ahora es demasiado tarde para volver; mas, ya que has traído la puerta, tú la llevarás." - "Llevaré la puerta, Federiquito, pero los orejones y el jarro de vinagre me pesan mucho. ¿Sabes qué? Los colgaré de la puerta, ¡que los lleve ella!"

And now they went into the forest, and sought the rogues, but did not find them. At length as it grew dark they climbed into a tree and resolved to spend the night there. Scarcely, however, had they sat down at the top of it than the rascals came thither who carry away with them what does not want to go, and find things before they are lost. They sat down under the very tree in which Frederick and Catherine were sitting, lighted a fire, and were about to share their booty. Frederick got down on the other side and collected some stones together. Then he climbed up again with them, and wished to throw them at the thieves and kill them. The stones, however, did not hit them, and the knaves cried, "It will soon be morning, the wind is shaking down the fir-apples. Catherine still had the door on her back, and as it pressed so heavily on her, she thought it was the fault of the dried pears, and said, "Frederick, I must throw the pears down." - "No, Catherine, not now," he replied, "they might betray us." - "Oh, but, Frederick, I must! They weigh me down far too much." - "Do it, then, and be hanged!" Then the dried pears rolled down between the branches, and the rascals below said, "The leaves are falling." A short time afterwards, as the door was still heavy, Catherine said, "Ah, Frederick, I must pour out the vinegar." - "No, Catherine, you must not, it might betray us." - "Ah, but, Frederick, I must, it weighs me down far too much." - "Then do it and be hanged!" So she emptied out the vinegar, and it besprinkled the robbers. They said amongst themselves, "The dew is already falling." At length Catherine thought, "Can it really be the door which weighs me down so?" and said, "Frederick, I must throw the door down." - "No, not now, Catherine, it might discover us." - "Oh, but, Frederick, I must. It weighs me down far too much." - "Oh, no, Catherine, do hold it fast." - "Ah, Frederick, I am letting it fall!" - "Let it go, then, in the devil's name." Then it fell down with a violent clatter, and the rascals below cried, "The devil is coming down the tree!" and they ran away and left everything behind them. Early next morning, when the two came down they found all their gold again, and carried it home.
Llegaron al bosque y empezaron a buscar a los ladrones, pero no los encontraron. Al fin, como había oscurecido, subiéronse a un árbol, dispuestos a pasar allí la noche. Apenas se habían instalado en la copa, llegaron algunos de esos bribones que se dedican a llevarse por la fuerza lo que no quiere seguir de buen grado, y a encontrar las cosas antes de que se hayan perdido. Sentáronse al pie del árbol que servía de refugio a Federico y Catalinita, y, encendiendo una hoguera, se dispusieron a repartirse el botín. Federico bajó al suelo por el lado opuesto, recogió piedras y volvió a trepar, para ver de matar a pedradas a los ladrones. Pero las piedras no daban en el blanco, y los ladrones observaron: "Pronto será de día, el viento hace caer las piñas." Catalinita seguía sosteniendo la puerta en la espalda y, como le pesara más de lo debido, pensando que la culpa era de los orejones, dijo: "Federiquito, tengo que soltar los orejones." - "No, Catalinita, ahora no," respondió él. "Podrían descubrirnos." - "¡Ay, Federiquito! no tengo más remedio, pesan demasiado." - "¡Pues suéltalos en nombre del diablo!" Abajo rodaron los orejones por entre las ramas, y los bribones exclamaron: "¡Los pájaros hacen sus necesidades!" Al cabo de otro rato, como la puerta siguiera pesando, dijo Catalinita: "¡Ay, Federiquito!, tengo que verter el vinagre." - "No, Catalinita, no lo hagas, podría delatarnos." - "¡Ay, Federiquito! es preciso, no puedo con el peso." - "¡Pues tíralo, en nombre del diablo!" Y vertió el vinagre, rociando a los ladrones, los cuales se dijeron: "Ya está goteando el rocío." Finalmente, pensó Catalinita: ¿No será la puerta lo que pesa tanto? y dijo: "Federiquito, tengo que soltar la puerta." - "¡No, Catalinita, ahora no, podrían descubrirnos!" - "¡Ay, Federiquito!, no tengo más remedio, me pesa demasiado." - "¡No, Catalinita, sosténla firme!" - "¡Ay, Federiquito, la suelto!" - "¡Pues suéltala, en nombre del diablo!" Y allá la echó, con un ruido infernal, y los ladrones exclamaron: "¡El diablo baja por el árbol!" y tomaron las de Villadiego, abandonándolo todo. A la mañana siguiente, al descender los dos del árbol, encontraron todo su oro y se lo llevaron a casa.

When they were once more at home, Frederick said, "And now, Catherine, you, too, must be industrious and work." - "Yes, Frederick, I will soon do that, I will go into the field and cut corn." When Catherine got into the field, she said to herself, "Shall I eat before I cut, or shall I sleep before I cut? Oh, I will eat first." Then Catherine ate and eating made her sleepy, and she began to cut, and half in a dream cut all her clothes to pieces, her apron, her gown, and her shift. When Catherine awoke again after a long sleep she was standing there half-naked, and said to herself, "Is it I, or is it not I? Alas, it is not I." In the meantime night came, and Catherine ran into the village, knocked at her husband's window, and cried, "Frederick." - "What is the matter?" - "I should very much like to know if Catherine is in?" - "Yes, yes," replied Frederick, "she must be in and asleep." Said she, "'Tis well, then I am certainly at home already," and ran away.
Cuando volvieron ya a estar aposentados, dijo Federico: "Catalinita, ahora debes ser muy diligente y trabajar de firme." - "Sí, Federiquito, sí lo haré. Voy al campo a cortar hierba." Cuando llegó al campo, se dijo: ¿Qué haré primero: cortar, comer o dormir? Empecemos por comer. Y Catalinita comió, y después entróle sueño, por lo que, cortando, medio dormida, se rompió todos los vestidos: el delantal, la falda y la camisa, y cuando se despabiló, al cabo de mucho rato, viéndose medio desnuda, preguntóse: ¿Soy yo o no soy yo? ¡Ay, pues no soy yo! Mientras tanto, había oscurecido; Catalinita se fue al pueblo y, llamando a la ventana de su marido, gritó: "¡Federiquito!" - "¿Qué pasa?" - "¿Está Catalinita en casa?" - "Sí, sí," respondió Federico, "debe de estar acostada, durmiendo." Y dijo ella: "Entonces es seguro que estoy en casa," y echó a correr.

Outside Catherine found some vagabonds who were going to steal. Then she went to them and said, "I will help you to steal." The rascals thought that she knew the situation of the place, and were willing. Catherine went in front of the houses, and cried, "Good folks, have you anything? We want to steal." The thieves thought to themselves, "That's a fine way of doing things," and wished themselves once more rid of Catherine. Then they said to her, "Outside the village the pastor has some turnips in the field. Go there and pull up some turnips for us." Catherine went to the ground, and began to pull them up, but was so idle that she did not gather them together. Then a man came by, saw her, and stood still and thought that it was the devil who was thus rooting amongst the turnips. He ran away into the village to the pastor, and said, "Mr. Pastor, the devil is in your turnip-ground, rooting up turnips." - "Ah, heavens," answered the pastor, "I have a lame foot, I cannot go out and drive him away." Said the man, "Then I will carry you on my back," and he carried him out on his back. And when they came to the ground, Catherine arose and stood up her full height. "Ah, the devil!" cried the pastor, and both hurried away, and in his great fright the pastor could run better with his lame foot than the man who had carried him on his back could do with his sound one.
En despoblado encontróse con unos ladrones que se preparaban para robar. Acercándose a ellos, les dijo: "Yo os ayudaré." Los bribones pensaron que conocía las oportunidades del lugar y se declararon conformes. Catalinita pasaba por delante de las casas gritando: "¡Eh, gente! ¿tenéis algo? ¡Queremos robar!" - "¡Buena la hemos hecho!" dijeron los ladrones, mientras pensaban cómo podrían deshacerse de Catalinita. Al fin le dijeron: "A la salida del pueblo, el cura tiene un campo de remolachas; ve a recogernos un montón." Catalinita se fue al campo a coger remolachas; pero lo hacía con tanto brío que no se levantaba del suelo. Acertó a pasar un hombre que, deteniéndose a mirarla, pensó que el diablo estaba revolviendo el campo. Corrió, pues, a la casa del cura, y le dijo: "Señor cura, en vuestro campo está el diablo arrancando remolachas." - "¡Dios mío!" exclamó el párroco, "¡tengo una pierna coja, no puedo salir a echarlo!" Respondióle el hombre: "Yo os ayudaré," y lo sostuvo hasta llegar al campo, en el preciso momento en que Catalinita se enderezaba. "¡Es el diablo!" exclamó el cura, y los dos echaron a correr; y el santo varón tenía tanto miedo que, olvidándose de su pierna coja, dejó atrás al hombre que lo había sostenido.