Nieto: A Short Story in Spanish

Nieto en el campo
By Ana Padgett (Grade 12)


Nieto suspiró. Estaba agitado mientras sus padres manejaron lejos de la granja de los abuelos.

“¡Nos gusta que estés aquí!” dijo Abuela.

“Sí. Estás aquí a tiempo para ayudarme,” añadió Abuelo.

Nieto no supo lo que Abuelo estaba pensando, pero no estaba emocionado de estar aqui con las ovejas durante diez días. Miró al camino sucio una vez mas. No pudo ver el coche de su familia.

Con desgana, él seguió sus abuelos y entró en la casa pequeña. En la distancia, el vio las ovejas blancas y lanudas.

Esa noche, Abuelo y Abuela iban a dormir temprano.

“Debes dormir también, Nieto,” Abuela aconejó.

“Trabajamos temprano en la mañana,” dijo Abuelo.

¿Trabajo temprano? Nieto quería dormir tarde, pero se acostó sin quejas. Unos minutes pasaron, y el oyó el gallo canta en voz alta. ¿Ya es la mañana? El vio el reloj y sólo era las 2:45 en la mañana. ¡Que gallo loco! Nieto cerró los ojos otra vez.

A las cinco y media, él se despertó de nuevo.

“!Nieto, te despiertes!” llamó Abuela. “El desayuno está listo.”

Tropezando en las escaleras a causa de la falta de sueño, Nieto entró en la cocina y encontró un desayuno caliente en la mesa. Abuelo se sentaba en su silla. Después de comer, Nieto estuvo cansado, pero el seguió su Abuelo hasta el granero.

En el granero todo era peor. El gallo loco cantaba todavía. Cuando Nieto fue a dar el grano a las ovejas, ellas lo empujaron en el lodo. Se levantó y comenzó a arreglar su ropa.

Abuelo quería dar las vacunaciones a doce ovejas jovenes. Fue una tarea difícil porque Nieto no podia agarrarlas. Unas ovejas escaparon de él. Por eso Abuelo tenía que hacer la mayoría del trabajo.

Pero lo peor era que Nieto tenía que quitar la suciedad con una pala. ¡Que lio maloliente!

Cuando llega la hora del almuerzo, Nieto estaba muy cansado. Cuando salió del granero, una oveja puso la cabeza por la cerca. Indeciso, Nieto tocó la suave cabeza y la oveja cerró los ojos felizmente. Nieto rió. Ya tuvo un amigo.

Por primera vez desde habia llegado al campo, Nieto estaba contento pensando en las posibilidades. Ya hacía planes gloriosos. Al fin y al cabo, estos días en la granja no serían una tragedia.



English Translation

Grandson sighed. He was upset while his parents drove away from his grandparents’ farm.

“We are glad that you are here!” said Grandma.

“Yes. You're here in time to help me," Grandpa added..

Nieto did not know what Grandpa had in mind, but knew that he was not excited to be on the sheep farm for ten days. With one last glance down the dirt drive way, he followed his grandparents into their small cottage. In the distance he could see wooly white sheep.

That night, Grandfather and Grandmother went to bed early.

“You’d better turn in too, Nieto.” Abuela warned.

“Work starts early in the morning.”

Work…early! Nieto had been planning on sleeping in and relaxing during his visit! Being an obedient grandson, he went to bed quickly. After a few minutes, he heard the rooster singing loudly. Was it morning? Looking sleepily at his alarm clock, Nieto saw that it was only 2:45 a.m.! Crazy rooster! He closed his eyes.

At 5:30 he woke up again.

“Rise and shine sweety!” Grandma sang.

“Breakfast is ready!”

Stumbling out of bed, Nieto made it to the kitchen where a hot breakfast was already on the table. Grandpa was sitting in his chair. After eating, Nieto was tired, but followed Grandpa to the barn.

In the barn, things started to get worse. The crazy rooster was still crowing. Grandpa wanted to give twelve lambs their vaccinations, but it ws difficult for Nieto to grab them. Some sheep got away from. Because of this Grandfather had to do most of the work.

But the worst was that Nieto had to shovel the manure. What a greasy, smelly mess!

By lunchtime, Nieto was very tired. Just as he was leaving the barn, one of the sheep put his head through the fence. Hesitantly, Nieto reached touched his soft head. The sheep closed his eyes happily. Nieto smiled. He already had a freind.

For the first time since he had arrived in the country, Nieto felt happy thinking about the possibilities. He was already making great plans. After all was said and done, these ten days on the farm might not be so bad after all.

A Causa de mi Papá

The final Spanish short story winner for this year is Anthony Morello, grade 10. Anthony loves to play tennis and used his favorite passtime as an element in his story.

A Causa de mi Papá
Anthony Morello

En Los Angeles vivía un tenista famoso por nombre de Bernardo Cardena. El ganó tres campeonatos nacionales y siempre practicaba en las canchas de un club cerca de su casa.

Bernardo tenía un hijo. Su hijo, Luis, tuvo diez años cuando Bernardo se murió en un accidente. Después de la muerte de Señor Cardena, no había bastante dinero y la familia perdió la casa. Luis estaba muy triste. El quería aprender a jugar al tenis y llegar a ser un tenista famoso como su padre. Ahora los Cardena no vivirían cerca de un club de tenis. Al ver su hijo tan triste, Señora Cardena tomó la decisión buscar un apartamento cerca del club donde practicaba su marido.

Luis y su madre vivían en el apartamento por cinco años. Luis no podía pagar la cuota para hacerse miembro del club. Sin embargo, se dirigía todas las tardes al club y esperaba en la entrada. A veces un miembro necesitaría un oponente y invitaría a Luis a jugar. Luis aprendía a jugar muy bien por esas ocasiones.

Un día, él averiguó que el nuevo campeón de tenis estaba practicando en el club. El campeón, Martin Meléndez, era hombre fuerte con una sonrisa grande. Luis quería jugar con el campeón pero creó que nunca tendría la suerte. Esperaba y esperaba la oportunidad.

Luis fijaba la mirada en Meléndez mientras jugaba, mirando por el alambre de la cancha. Aún recogió y devolvió la pelota. El campeón le dio gracias y continuó a jugar. Después de la juega, Meléndez se acercó a Luis y se presentó.

"Cómo te llamas?"

"Luis."

"Juegas?"

"Sí. Mi padre me enseñó. Quizas le conoció a él... Bernardo Cardena?"

"¡Por supuesto! Era tenista talentoso y hombre bueno."

Luis se enorgulleció. Ojalá que su padre viva todavía.

Meléndez dice, "Voy a practicar aquí hasta la gira comienza. Tienes interés en practicar conmigo de vez en cuando?"

Luis apenas pudo creer lo que escuchaba.

"¡Sí, me encanta la idea! Podemos empezar hoy día?"

El Campeón se rió. "Por qué no? No puedo negar el hijo de Bernardo Cardenal."

____________________________________________

Because of my Dad
Antonio Morello, grade 10

In Los Angeles there lived a famous tennis player by the name of Bernardo Cardena. He won three national championships and he always practiced on the courts of a club near his house.

Bernardo had a son. His son, Luis, was ten years old when Bernardo died in an accident. After Mr. Cardena's death, there wasn't enough money and the family lost the house. Luis was very sad. He wanted to learn to play tennis and become a famous tennis player like his father. Now the Cardenal family would not live near the tennis club. Seeing her son so sad, Mrs. Cardena made the decision to look for an apartment near the club where her husband used to practice.

Luis and his mother lived in the apartment for five years. Luis couldn't pay the membership fees. Nevertheless, he headed to the club every afternoon and waited at the entrance. Sometimes a member would need an opponent and would invite Luis to play. Luis was learning to play very well through these occasions.

One day, he found out about the the new national champion who was practicing at the club. The champion, Martin Meléndez, was a strong man with a big smile. Luis wanted to play with the champion but he believed that he would never be that lucky. He waited and waited for his opportunity.

He watched Melendez play, looking through the wire fence. He even caught and returned a stray ball. The champ thanked him and continued to play. After the game, Melendez approached Luis and introduced himself.

"And what's your name?"

"Luis."

"Do you play?"

"Yes. My father taught me. Maybe you knew him... Bernardo Cardena?"

"Of course! He was a talented player and a good man."

Luis felt proud. He wished that his father were still alive.

Melendez said, "I'm going to practice here until the tour starts. Would you be interested in practicing with me now and then?"

Luis could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yes! I love the idea. Can we start today?

The Champ laughed. "Sure, why not? I can't refuse Bernardo Cardena's son."

Kelsey Lamb's Spanish Short Story

Mi Tío en un Lío
By Kelsey Lamb

Tengo una familia muy interesante, pero mi tío es especialmente fascinante. Se llama Tío Atom. Él es cientìfico y trabaja en un laboratorio de la universidad. Es un hombre alto y flaco, con pelo color café. Tiene los ojos azules y la barba corta. Es trabajador serio y a veces cómico. A él le encanta hacer investigaciones con quìmicos.

Mi tío no está casado. Su mejor amigo es un perro negro y grande que se llama “Boomer”. Todos nosotros queriamos que viniera a conocer a una mujer.

Aunque no intenta hacerlo, mi tío suele explotar cosas en su laboratorio. Todos los padres en nuestra familia están perocupados de que él pueda lastimarse, pero los niños piensan que él es fenomenal.

Se puede ver muchas pruebas extrañas en el laboratorio. Voy a relatar lo que pasó un día en el laboratorio de mi tío.

Había líquido intoxico corriendo a lo largo de tubos de vidrio a un frasco de cristal. Tío Atom corría de lado a lado sin prestar atención completa a su trabajo. El líquido morado continuó a borbollar en los tubos. Tío Atom tuvo prisa. Quiso acabar las investigaciones antes de la llegada del Director. Señor Horatio Lopez, Director del Laboratorio, iba a inspeccionar. También, Tío Atom se preocupaba porque aquella noche saldría por primera vez con una mujer. Era una mujer muy bonita e inteligente.

Tío Atom miraba del reloj y la solución morada que estaba hirviendo en un frasco. Estaba perdiendo la paciencia. Otra vez Tío Atom se dio vuelta para ver el reloj y en esa acción volcó el Bunsen Burner. ¡De repente todos sus papeles se incendieron!

“¡Ay de mi!” gritó Tío Atom. El intentó apagar el fuego con agua, pero en lugar de agua, agarró un vaso de metanol. El resultado fue un incendio más grande que engolfó la mitad del laboratorio.
Tío Atom agarró ­­­­­­­­­­­­­el extintor y apagó el fuego como hombre loco. En este momento entró el Director. ¡Que desastre! Había un lío. Tío Atom no supo qué decir.

Más tarde, después de bañarse y vestirse, Tío Atom se dirigió al restaurante elegante donde esperaba la mujer bonita. Los dos se sentaron y comenzaron a charlar.

Ella le preguntó a mi tío: “Has tenido un día interesante?”

En respuesto, él dijo: “No. Nada interesante pasó. Todo el día fue normal.”

_______________________________________________

My Uncle in a Mess
Kelsey Lamb

I have a very interesting family, but my Uncle is especially fascinating. His name is Uncle Atom. He is a scientist and he works in a university lab. He is tall and skinny with brown hair. He has blue eyes and a short beard. He is a serious worker and sometimes comical. He loves to perform experiments with chemicals.

My uncle isn't married. His best friend is a big black dog called Boomer. We all wanted him to come to know a woman.

Although he doesn't try to, my uncle usually blows things up in his lab. All the parents in our family worry that he might hurt himself but the children think that he is phenomenal.

Many strange experiments can be seen in the lab. I'm going to tell you what happened on day in my uncle's lab.

There was an intoxicating liquid running the length of some glass tubes to a glass flask. Uncle Atom was running from side to side without paying complete attention to his work. The purple liquid continued to boil in the tubes. Uncle Atom was in a hurry. He wanted to finish the experiments before the Director's arrival. Mr. Horatio Lopez, the Director of the laboratory, was going to inspect. Uncle Atom was preoccupied also because that night he would go out with a woman for the first time. She was a very pretty and intelligent woman.

Unce Atom was watching the clock and the purple solution that was boiling in the flask. He was losing patience. Again, he turned to look at the clock and in that action he overturned the Bunsen Burner. Suddenly, all his papers went up in flames!

"Oh my!" shouted Uncle Atom. He tried to put out the fire with water, but instead of grabbing water, he grabbed a glass of methanol. The result was a bigger fire that engulfed half the laboratory.

Uncle Atom grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire like a crazy man. At that moment the Director entered. What a disaster! It was a mess. Uncle Atom didn't know what to say.

Later, after taking a bath and dressing, Uncle Atom headed to the elegant restaurant where the pretty woman was waiting. The two sat down and began to chat.

She asked my uncle, "Have you had an interesting day?"

My uncle replied, "No. Nothing interesting happened. The whole day was normal."

Victoria Bastin's Spanish Story

El Disastre en el Campo
Victoria Bastin

Todos los años en noviembre mi familia y yo viajamos a la casa de mi Tío Jeff. Hacemos el viaje para cazar el venado, algo que hacemos anualmente. Los que vienen incluyen nuestros familiares del campo que se llaman “rednecks” y nosotros de la cuidad. Para pertenecer a este grupo de hombres, debe llevarse las botas vaqueras y hablar con los mondadientes en la boca.

Mi primera experiencia de este pasatiempo fue cuando tenía doce años. Al llegar en el campo, vi todos mis familiares. Todos ellos, de mi Tía Casilda hasta mi Tío loco, Jeff, estaban allí. Jeff siempre venía a esta reunión en el campo a pesar de tener la alergía de los venados.

Todos estában emociandos y casi no pudieron esperar el día siguiente cuando comenzaríamos a cazar. Las mujeres estaban charlando y sirviendo el té dulce a todos los que lo querían. Los hombres estaban caminando entre las filas de tobaco y hablaban de sus toros recién comprados.

Deshicimos las maletas rápidamente porque quisimos conducir el tractor antes de ponerse el sol. Planeábamos acostarnos temprano, pero primero tuvimos una cena buena que consiste en un pastel de ñame, mi favorito. Después de la cena, escuchábamos la música del banjo que mi Tio Jeff tocaba. El tocaba con gran habilidad y no quisimos dormirnos. Sin embargo, todos se fueron a dormir porque tuvimos que levantarnos antes de las tres en la mañana para salir al bosque.

La mañana siguiente, tomamos el vagón más grande al bosque. Estaba lloviendo pero no nos molestaba mucho. Trepamos por el bosque hasta encontramos un lugar donde pudimos escondernos. Me sentía en el suelo por muchas ahoras y no hablé. Por fin, vi algo… un venado enorme! Mi Tío lo ha visto también. El levantó su arma para disparar pero en aquel momento la alergía le irritó la nariz y … ACHOO!

Mi Tío estornudó y el venado se echó a correr. Jeff disparó su rifle y la bala pegó un árbol en que se escondía mi primo. Mi primo se cayó del árbol y sufrió la pierna rota. Empezó a gritar.

Volvimos a casa mojados y desanimados, sin habiendo matado un venado. Estuvimos de acuerdo que en el futuro Jeff se limitaría a tocar el banjo y no llevaría las armas.

__________________________________________________
Disaster in the Country
Victoria Bastin

Every year in November, my family and I travel to my Uncle Jeff’s house. We make the trip to hunt deer, something that we do every year. Those who come include our redneck relatives from the country and us ‘city folks’. To belong to this group of men you should wear cowboy boots and talk with a toothpick in your mouth.

My first experience of this pastime when I was twelve. When we arrived I saw all my relatives. All of them, from my Aunt Casilda to my crazy Uncle Jeff, were there. My Uncle Jeff always came to this gathering in the country in spite of his allergies to deer.

Everyone was very excited and could hardly wait until the next day when we would begin to hunt. The women were chatting away and serving sweet tea to everyone who wanted it. The men are walking up the tobacco rows and talking about their latest bull purchases.

We quickly unpacked our suitcase because we wanted to drive the tractor before the sun set. We were planning to go to bed early, but first we ate a good dinner that included sweet potato pie, my favorite. After dinner, we were listening to banjo music played by my Uncle Jeff. He is quite the player and we all want to stay up, but we must rise before 3 o’clock to head out early in the morning. He played with great skill and we didn't want to go to sleep. Nevertheless, everyone went off to sleep because we had to get up before 3:00 the next morning to go out to the woods.

The next morning we took the biggest wagon to the woods. It was raining but it didn't bother us much. We traipsed through the woods until we found a place where we could hide. I sat on the ground for hours and I didn't speak. Finally, I saw something... a huge deer! My Uncle has seen it also. He raised his weapon to fire but at that moment his allergy irritated his nose and ACHOO!

My Uncle sneezed and the deer took off running. Jeff fired his rife and the bullet hit a tree where my cousin was hiding. My cousin fell out of the tree and broke his leg. He began to shout.

We returned home, wet and in poor spirits, without having killed a single deer. We agreed that in the future Uncle Jeff would limit himself to playing the banjo and wouldn't carry weapons.

2009 Spanish Short Story Winners

Students Publish Here is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Annual Spanish Short Story Contest. This contest is open to all Spanish 2 students. This year's winners are:

Victoria Bastin, grade 9
Kelsy Lamb, grade 11
Anthony Morello, grade 10

Congratulations to all the winners! Their stories will be published here this week.

This year's theme was family relations. The stories were to include the following:

Spanish names
Description of the character's personality or physical traits
The character's activities and/or experiences
How other family members react to this character
The character's problem and how it gets worse
How the problem is resolved
A satisfying ending

A satisfying ending might involve a surprise, a good laugh, a happy ending, or a cliff-hanger to leave the judges and readers wondering.

The first of the winning stories will appear tomorrow. Enjoy!

Third Annual Short Story Contest for Spanish 2 Students

For the past two years Student Publish Here has hosted a short story contest for Spanish 2 students. The judges have received about 130 submissions and 10 students have won to date. Their Spanish stories are published here, here and here with English translations.

The stories do not need to be perfect, but should be as grammatically correct as is possible for Spanish 2 students. Teachers may help students revise and edit, but the story ideas and the writing should be the students' work.

Spanish 2 teachers in public and privates schools may submit work. There is a separate competition for Spanish students in college, so please designate "high school" or "college". Send your best entries to Spanish Short Stories, c/o Alice Linsley, P.O. Box 3, Versailles, KY 40383. Or you may submit them electronically to aproeditor-at-gmail-dot-com.

Stories should be between 500 and 1200 words. This year the theme is family relations. Students are to use imaginary characters. If basing the character on a real family member, the family member's real name may not be used and details about the real person must be changed.

The story must include the following:

Spanish names
Physical description of the character
Description of the character's personality or character traits
The character's activities and/or experiences
What makes this character interesting
How other family members react to this character
The character's problem and how it gets worse
How the problem is resolved
A satisfying ending

A satisfying ending could involve a surprise, a good laugh, a happy ending, or a cliff-hanger to leave us wondering.

All submissions must be received by midnight on March 30. Winners will have their stories published at Students Publish Here.

No identifying information is posted on the Internet to protect students (what a sorry world, right?) For students under age 18, parental permission forms must be signed before student work can be published. Those forms are emailed to participating teachers as attachments.

The Anticipated Fish

This is the final of the 3 Spanish short stories written by Spanish II students at Midway College. I hope that you enjoy them.

I'm proud of these students. They worked hard on these stories and have produced work beyond level II Spanish.

Have a wonderful summer, Sheila, Suzanne and Katie!


El Pescado Prevido
Katie Tierney

Hizo buen tiempo y Miguel Hernandez echaba una siesta. Estaba andando por la acera de la plaza lentamente, dejando su mente a vagar. De repente, vio una tienda que cogió su ojo. Era una tienda de pesca, que se llamaba “El Mundo de la Pesca”. Miguel siempre había querido tratar de pescar. En seguida, en ese día bonita, Miguel decidió a entrar la tienda y buscar equipo para ir de pesca. Hablaba con el dependiente de que necesitaría para pescar. El dependiente le mostró una caña de pescar y otras cosas que necesitaría, y en menos de media hora, Miguel estuvo preparado a pescar.

El resto del día, Miguel no podía pensar en otra cosa. Tan pronto como llegar a su casa, habló a su esposa de sus planes. Explicó, "Tengo que ir esta tarde porque mañana no va a hacer buen tiempo." Su esposa, Esperanza, respondía cariñosamente porque quería cocinar pescado fresco para la cena. Miguel recogió enérgicamente su equipo de pesca y salió pronto.

Miguel llegó al río y echó la línea. Entonces esperaba … y esperaba … y esperaba más. Ningún pez mordió. Miguel echó la línea otra vez, fuertemente, y más lejos. Pero los peces no mordieron. Miguel pasaba una hora pescando y no tomó ni uno pez. Por último, tragó su orgullo y tristemente embaló sus cosas.

Mientras manejaba a casa, Miguel recordó que Esperanza querría pescado por la cena. ¡Estaba esperando pescado fresco! Miguel había gastado tanto dinero por su equipo nuevo y había estado tan emocionado a pescar que no pensó en el deseo de su esposa. Supo que no podría regresar a casa sin el pescado prevido. Así, fue en seguida a una pescadería para comprar el pescado fresco.

Durante el regreso a casa, Miguel pensaba en lo que iría a decir a Esperanza. "¿Debo decir que yo tomé el pecado del río?"

Al llegar, dijo que él había cogido el pescado pero Esperanza supo que el pescado no vino del río. Ella simplemente se sonrió a su esposo y le dijo, "¡Tú eres el mejor pescador de todos los pescadores del mundo!"


The Anticipated Fish
Katie Tierney

It was nice weather and Miguel Hernandez was taking a siesta. He was slowly walking along the plaza sidewalk, allowing his mind to wander. Suddenly, he saw a store that grabbed his attention. It was a fishing store called "The World of Fishing." Miguel always had wanted to try to fish. Right away, on that beautiful day, Miguel decided to enter the store and look for tackle to go fishing. He spoke with the store clerk about what he would need to fish. The clerk showed him a fishing rod and other things that he would need, and in less than half an hora, Miguel was prepared to fish.

The rest of the day Miguel wasn't able to think about anything else. As soon as he arrived home, he spoke to his wife about his plans. He explained, "I have to go this afternoon because the weather tomorrow isn't going to be nice." His wife, Hope, responded affectionately because she wished to cook fresh fish for dinner. Miguel energetically gathered his tackle and shortly left.

Miguel arrived at the river and cast his line. Then he waited... and waited... and waited some more. No fish bit. He cast the line again, more forcefully and farther out. Still the fish didn't bite. Miguel spent an hour fishing and didn't catch a single fish. Finally, he swallowed his pride and sadly packed up his things.

While driving home, Miguel remembered that Esperanza wanted fish for dinner. She was expecting fresh fish! Miguel had spent so much money for his fishing equipment and had been so excited about fishing that he had not thought about his wife's wishes. He knew that he would not be able to return home without the anticipated fish. So, he went right away to a fish store to buy fresh fish.

During the return home, Miguel thought about what he was going to tell Esperanza. "Should I tell her that I caught the fish?"

Arriving home, Miguel told her that he had caught the fish but Esperanza knew that the fish didn't come from the river. She simply smiled at her husband and said, "You are the best fisherman of all the fishermen in the world!"

Another Spanish Short Short

El Padre Equivocado
Suzannne Casey


Diego Morales es meterológico popular de la televisión hispana en La Florida. Ha sido meterológico hace muchos años y es bien conocido por sus prognosticaciones correctas. Mucha gente hace planes por actividades al aire libre basado en las predicciones de Diego.

La familia Morales consiste en la esposa, Elena, un hijo Diego Jr., y dos hijas: Marie de diez anos y Cristina de tres anos. Los Morales tiene un perro pequeño que va con ellos a todas partes. El perro se llama Pepe.

Una vez la familia miraba la televisión mientras Diego describía el tiempo. Dijo que el día siguiente haría sol y sin la lluvia. Su familia estaba emocionada porque ellos han planeado una excursión a la playa.

La mañana próxima, todos estaban ocupados paqueando el coche con las cosas que necesitarían: sillas, comida, paraguas, juguetes y, por supuesto, Pepe. Era un sábado hermoso y había muchos coches en el autopista. Cuando llegaron a la playa los niños comenzaron a correr y Pepe saltaba con ellos en la playa. Soplaba una brisa suave y fresca del océano. La arena estaba caliente y blanda en los dedos. Pepe fue en busca de modera flotante y otras cosas apestosas.

Elena preparaba la manta y la comida y después de treinta minutos llamó a la familia venir a comer. Todos comían y descansaban por un rato cuando de repente comenzó a soplar un viento fuerte. Los platos se dadan vuelta y el paraguas se cayó. Se formaron nubes oscuras sobre el océano y había el sonido de trueno. La tormenta que se aproximaba les fascinaron a todos.

De repente vino el granizo. Los niños estaban asustados. Elena corrió al coche para subir las ventanas. Comenzó a llover, formando charcas por todas partes. Todos miraron a Señor Morales, pensando en su predicción de ayer. El no había dicho nada de una tormenta. Diego se sentía avergonzado. El "Gran Meterológico" se había equivocado.

Todos corrieron al coche donde esperaban la terminación de la tormenta. Nadie dijo algo a Señor Morales. Nadie aún pudo mirar a él. Habría mucho tiempo antes de ellos podrían creer sus prognósticos otra vez.


The Mistaken Father
Suzanne Casey

Diego Morales is a popular weather man on Spanish television in Florida. He has been a weather man for many years and is well known for his correct predictions. Many people base their plans for outdoor activities on Diego’s forecasts.

The Morales family consists of the wife, Elena, a son, Diego Jr., and two daughters: Marie age 10 and Cristiana age three. The Morales have a small dog that goes everywhere with them. The dog’s name is Pepe.

One day the family was watching the television while Diego was describing the weather. He said that the following day would be sunny and without rain. His family was excited because they had planned an outing to the beach.

The next morning everyone was busy packing the car with the things they would need: chairs, umbrella, toys and, of course, Pepe. It was a beautiful Saturday and there were many cars on the highway. When they arrived at the beach the children began to run and Pepe was jumping with them on the beach. A soft and fresh breeze was blowing from the ocean. The sand was warm and soft on their feet. Pepe went in search of driftwood and other smelly things.

Elena was preparing the blanket and the food and after 30 minutes called the family to come and eat. Everyone ate and rested for a while when suddenly a strong wind began to blow. The plates swirled and the umbrella fell. Dark clouds formed over the ocean and there was the sound of thunder. They were all mesmerized by the approaching storm.

Suddenly there was hail. The children were frightened. Elena ran to the car and put up the windows. It began to rain, forming puddles everywhere. They all looked at Mr. Morales, thinking about his forecast yesterday. He had said nothing about a storm. Diego felt ashamed. The Great Meteorologist had been mistaken.

Everyone ran to the car where they waited for the end of the storm. Nobody said anything to Mr. Morales. No one even looked at him. It would be a long time before they would be able to believe in his weather predictions once again.

Spanish Short Story: A dog named Lucky

The following short story was written by one of my Spanish II students at Midway College. It appears with the English translation below.


Mi Perro Afortunado
Sheila Holsclaw

Mi madre y yo andábamos enfrente de la tienda de mascotas rumbo a casa. Veníamos del supermercado. En el escaparate, había un perrito precioso de color blanco con manchas negras. El perrito ladraba y coleaba.

Dije a mi madre que yo quería ese perro y ella me sorprendió cuando
me dijo sí. Yo lo nombré “Afortunado.” El parece exactamente como el perro “Afortunado” en la película 101 Dalmatians.

Durante el regreso a casa pensaba en todos los hechos que yo le enseñaría a Afortunado. Por supuesto mi madre me dijo que el perro sería mi responsibilidad. Yo limpiaría el excremento que el perro deja en la casa o en la yarda. No me importaba porque quería tanto a mi perro.

Afortunado era tan divertido. En una semana le enseñé a hablar, darse la mano, y darse la vuelta. Próximo, le enseñaré a saltar por un aro. Es un perro hábil y le amo mucho.

Tuve Afortunado para dos semanas cuando él y yo estábamos en un lío. Yo olvidé poner el perrito en el patio detrás de la casa antes de ir a la escuela. Cuando mi madre y yo llegamos a casa por la tarde, descubrimos que Afortunado había destruído la sala. La ropa estuvo despersada por todas partes, y la lámpara estuvo en el suelo. La planta de mi madre se había volcada y las hojas y tierra estuvieron derremadas por toda la alfombra. Afortunado había hecho unos huecos en el sofá y varias almohadas se habían rendida a trisas.

Ay! Mamá estaba furiosa. Yo estaba triste porque la culpa era mía. Después de seis meses de entrenamiento Afortunado se hizo bien portado. Afortunado estaba para hacer algo que le ganaría su nombre.

Mamá planeó un picnic y me dijo que podía llevar Afortunado con nosotros al lago. Me emocionaba. El día hacía sol y calor. Yo fui a nadar tan pronto como salté del coche. Afortunado se quedó con Mamá mientras ella arreglaba la comida en la manta.

Yo no pagaba atención y nadé demasiado lejos de la orilla. Yo comencé a gritar ¡Socorro! ¡Socorro! Antes de saber lo que pasaba, Afortunado estuvo a mi lado, ayudándome. Yo agarré a Afortunado y él me arrastró a la orilla. Mama lloró y se rió y me daba abrasos y a Afortunado también. Ella nos dijo que nos quería mucho y consideró el nombre "Afortunado" ser perfecto para él. Ella se sonrié y me dijo que estaba feliz que yo había escogido este perrito de la tienda de mascotas. Afortunado es una parte especial de nuestra familia.


My Dog "Lucky"
Sheila Holsclaw

My Mom and I were walking by the pet shop on the way home. We were coming from the supermarket. In the display window was a cute white puppy with black spots. He was barking and wagging his tail.

I told Mom that I wanted the dog and she surprised me when she said "yes" to me. I named him Lucky. He looks exactly like Lucky in the 101 Dalmatians movie.

On the way home I thought about all the neat tricks I would teach Lucky. Of course Mom told me that the dog would be my responsibility. I'd have to clean the mess that the puppy leaves in the house or yard. It didn' matter to me because I loved my puppy so much.

Lucky was so much fun. In one week I taught him to speak, shake hands and roll over. Next I’ll teach him to jump through a hoop. He's a smart dog and I love him alot.

I had Lucky for only two weeks before he and I were in trouble. I forgot to put Lucky in the backyard before I went to school. When Mom and I arrived home in the afternoon, we discovered that Lucky had wrecked the living room. Clothes were all over the floor, the lamp was lying on the floor. Mom’s plant was turned over and leaves and dirt were all over the carpet. Lucky had even chewed holes in the couch and several pillows had been shredded.

Boy! Mom was furious. I was sad because I was to blame. After six more months of training, Lucky became well behaved. Lucky was about to live up to his name.

Mom planned a picnic and said I could take Lucky with us to the lake. I was so excited. The day was sunny and warm. I went swimming as soon as I jumped out of the car. Lucky stayed with Mom while she arranged all the food on the blanket.

I wasn’t paying attention and swam too far from the shore. I started to yell “Help, Help”. Before I knew what was happening, Lucky was at my side, helping me. I grabbed hold of Lucky and he pulled me to the shore. Mom cried and laughed and hugged me and Lucky too. She told us she loved us and that Lucky’s name was perfect for him. She smiled and said she was glad I had picked out this dog at the pet store. Lucky is a special part of our family.

More Spanish Short Stories

I recently finished teaching a Spanish class in which the students were required to write short stories in Spanish. From this group I selected 3 to publish. These will appear this week with English translations. Viva la historia!

Last year Students Publish Here sponsored a Spanish short story contest for High School students. There were over 40 entries and the 6 winners had their stories published. You may read those stories beginning here. One was published daily for 6 consecutive days.

Happy Ever After: A Fairy Tale

The final Spanish short story has many of the elements of a fairy tale. The story begins by telling the reader that these events took place many years ago in a far away land. Daniel Lyons gives us a world of magical words and mirrors, a captive princess, an evil witch, and a prince whose timing is perfect.


Daniel Lyons, Grade 9

Siempre Felices

Hace muchos años había una princesa bonita que vivía en una tierra lejana. Vivía en un castillo enorme con sus padres, el rey y la reina. Tambien había una bruja en el reino quien le ha puesto un hechizo en la princesa. La reina era la bruja.

La princesa tenía que vivir en un cuarto pequeño encima del castillo. La reina guardaba a la princesa contra su voluntad. Los criados le entregaban la comida todos los días. Ella no podrá salir hasta que un príncipe guapo la besará. Según el hechicero, la princesa y el príncipe tendrían que besar antes del toque de la medianoche en el tercer día del año.

Como siempre, la princesa barría el piso. Ella estaba cansada de trabajar mientras la reina vivía la vida lujosa. La princesa se llevaba harapos todos los días y estaba perdiendo la esperanza. La princesa quería escaparse pero no podía.

Cada día la reina miraba su espejo mágico. El espejo le decía, “Usted, mi reina, eres la más bonita de todas.” También el espejo le daba noticias de visitantes. Aquel día, el espejo le dijo que se acercaba un príncipe guapo. La reina mandó a las guardias que no den paso al príncipe.

Por la tarde, vino un príncipe guapo al castillo. Él llamó en el puerta grande y un guardia abrió a la puerta.

“Estoy aquí para librar a la princesa,” dijo el príncipe.

“No puede entrar y no puede verla,” repuso la guardia. “Para verla, debes hablar con el brujo sapo. Vive en el pantano.”

El príncipe hizo como le dijo la guardia. El brujo sapo estuvo feliz al conocer al príncipe y le explicó, “Tú necesitas decir ‘abracadabra’ en la entrada del castillo. La puerta mágica se abrirá y podrás encontrar a la princesa.”

Unos momentos antes de la medianoche el príncipe se apresuró a la entrada del castillo y él dijo “abracadabra” y la puerta abrió. Él entró en la oscuridad y buscaba la princesa en todas partes.

Finalmente halló un ropero. Unos sonidos extraños vinieron del ropero. Ló abrió y descubrió la princesa bonita. Se quedaron pocos minutos antes de la medianoche. Él le dijo todo lo que había pasado.

El príncipe le dijo, “Vas a ser mi reina.”

“Sí, mi amor,” repuso ella. “Gracias a Dios. Viviremos libres.”

Ellos se besaron exactamente en el momento en que tocó el reloj la medianoche. La bruja murió de repente y la gente del reino estaba feliz. Todos vivirían felices y en paz para siempre.



English

Forever Happy

Many years ago there was a beautiful princess who lived in a far away land. She lived in a huge castle with her parents, the king and the queen. There was also a witch in the kingdom who had put a spell on the princess. The queen was the witch.

The princess had to live in a small room on top of the castle. The queen kept the princess there against her will. The maids delivered food to her every day. She couldn't leave until a handsome prince kissed her. Acccording to the spell, the princess and the prince would have to kiss before the strike of midnight on the third day of the year.

As always, the princess was sweeping the floor. She was tired of working while the queen lived the life of luxury. She wore rags everyday and was losing hope. She wanted to escape, but couldn't.

Each day the queen looked in her magic mirror. The mirror used to tell her, "You, my queen, are the most beautiful of all." The mirror also gave news about visitors. That day the mirror told her that a handsome prince was approaching. The queen ordered the guards not to allow the prince to pass.

In the afternoon a handsome prince came to the castle. He knocked on the big door and a guard opened the door.

"I'm here to free the princess," said the prince.

"You can't enter and you can't see her," replied the guard. "You see her, you should speak with the toad wizard. He lives in the swamp."

The prince did as the guard told him. The toad wizard was happy to meet the prince and explained to him, "You need to say 'abracadabra' at the entrance to the castle and the magic door will open and you will be able to find the princess."

A few moments before midnight the prince was rushing to the castle entrance and he said "abracadabra" and the door opened. He entered the darkness and was looking everywhere for the princess.

Finally, he found a wardrobe. Strange sounds were coming from the wardrobe. He opened it and found the beautiful princess. Only a few second remained before midnight. He explained everything to her.

He told her, "You are going to be my queen."

"Yes, my love," she replied. "Thank God! We'll live free."

The two kissed exactly as the clock struck midnight. The witch suddenly died and the people of the kingdom were happy. Everyone would live happily and in peace for ever.

The Clown and the Bee

The fifth Spanish story was written by Benjamin Guzicki. It tells of a spectacular circus performance by a clown and an aggressive bee.


Benjamin Guzicki, Grade 9

El Payaso y La Abeja

El circo había llegado al pueblo. En una tienda un payaso se preparaba por the acontecimiento grande. El payaso era muy alto, con pantalones que hacen bolsas. Tenía la nariz roja y grande y el pelo verde. En su cara llevaba el maquillaje blanco.

Habia una multitud grande y todos estaban felices. Al payaso le gusta mucho entretener a la multitud, pero estaba nervioso porque tenía problemas. Aquel día nada pasaba bien.

El payaso entró la tienda grade para luchar con unos leones feroces. El abrió la puerta y oyó los chillidos de la gente. En ese momento una abeja voló hacia el payaso y se introdujo en sus pantalones flojos. La abeja le picó en el pompi y el payaso sorprendido chilló. La gente creyó que era parte del programa y todos se reían.

El payaso gritaba, “¡Ayúdame! ¡Ayúdame!” Pero la multitud no pudo oír. Todos estaban riéndose. La gente pasaba un tiempo divertido, pero al payaso no le gustó estar picado. El corría, saltando y gritando, “Me duele el pompi. ¡Me duele mucho!”

Un hombre vino a ayudarle, pero él tenía miedo de los leones. El payaso se escapó por la jaula de los leones y estaba aliviado que su parte en el programa había terminado. Pero el pompi se dolería por un largo rato a causa de estar hinchado.

A la gente le gustó mucho el espectáculo. Era muy fascinante, especialmente el payaso cómico. Todos salieron contentos de la tienda grande.


English

The Clown and the Bee

The circus had arrived in town. In a tent a clown was preparing himself for the big event. The clown was very tall, with baggy pants. He had a big red nose and green hair. On his face he wore white makeup.

There was a big crowd and everyone was happy. The clown liked to entertain the crowd, but he was nervous because he was having problems. That day nothing was going well.

The clown entered the big tent to wrestle with some fierce lions. He opened the door and heard the screams of the people. At that moment, a bee flew toward the clown and went into his loose pants. The bee stung him on the backside and the surprised clown screamed. The people thought it was part of the program and everyone was laughing.

The clown shouted, "Help me! Help me!" But the crowd couldn't hear. Everyone was laughing. The people were having a fun time, but the clown didn't like to be stung. He ran, jumping and shouting, "My backside hurts. It hurts me a lot!"

A man came to help him, but he was afraid of the lions. The clown escaped through the lion cage and he was relieved that his part of the show had ended. But his backside would ache for a long while because it was swollen.

The people really liked the show. It was fascinating, especially the comical clown. Everyone left the big tent happy.

A Change of Fortune

The fourth Spanish story was written by Taylor Goodlett. It has echoes of the Cinderella story, but Taylor has given the plot some interesting twists and a satisfying ending.


Taylor Goodlett , Grade 9

Un Cambio de Fortuna

Había una princesa hermosa que tenía el pelo rizado y largo. Sus ojos grandes eran de color azul. Ella vivía en un castillo gigantesco con su familia real. Se llamaba María y estaba mimada. Ella creía gue tenía todo: una gran familia, un castillo enorme y la rigueza, pero todo estuvo para cambiar en su vida.

Su padre, el rey, estuvo en otra parte del reino. Hacía un viaje de negocios y decidió a regresar tarde por la noche. Aquella noche había una tormenta tremenda. No se puede ver dos pies en adelante. Durante su regreso, un camión chocó en el coche lujoso del rey y el rey se murió instantáneamente.

Cuándo Maria recibió las noticias acerca la muerte de su padre, ella estaba muy triste y lloraba mucho. Su madre se había muerto del cáncer cuando ella tuvo tres años. Era su padre quien la criaba con amor y ahora él la había abandonado también. Ahora Maria tenía que vivir con su madrastra cruel y las dos hijas tacañas de su madrasta.

Su madrastra pareció feliz acerca la muerte del rey. Ella sonreía constantemente. Ella nunca lloró, ni una vez, durante el funeral del rey. Maria supo que su madrastra deseaba heredar todo y coger el poder.

Después del funeral, ellos volvieron al castillo. Cuando llegaron, la reina empezó a gritar a Maria, diciéndole: "Maria, lave los pisos con este cepillo de dientes."

"No soy tu servienta," repuso Maria, pero las tres mujeres la molestaban tanto que ella comenzó a perder la esperanza.

Maria estuvo enojada un día cuando, al limpiar el pasillo, su madrastra dejó lodo en el piso y le mandó limpiar el piso sucio por seguna vez. La princesa gritó, "No! No voy a trabajar como tu esclava nunca más.” Entonces ella salió del castillo y nunca regresó.

Maria huyó a la ciudad donde encontró a un hombre alto, moreno y guapo. Ellos charlaron un rato y ella se enamoró. El la reconoció. Supo que ella era la princesa y la amaba. Luego ellos se casaron.

Después de que la boda, ellos descubieron que la princesa habia heredado todo el reino de su padre. La reina tuvo que salir, pero Maria tenía piedad en ella. La dejó quedarse en el país si ella trabajaría en el castillo, limpiando y arreglando todo. Pasó que los tres vivían contentos en el castillo superlimpio.


English

A Change of Fortune

There was a beautiful princess with long curly hair. Her large eyes were blue. She lived in a gigantic castle with her royal family. Her name was Maria and she was spoiled. She thought that she had everything: a great family, a huge castle and wealth, but everything was about to change in her life.

Her father, the king, was in a differnt part of the kingdom. He was on a business trip and decided to come back late at night. That night there was a tremendous storm. You couldn't see two feet ahead. During his return, a truck crashed into the king's luxurious car and the king died instantly.

When Maria received the news about the death of her father, she was sad and cried a lot. Her mother had died of cancer when she was three years old. It was her father who had raised her with love and now he had abandoned her also. Now Maria had to live with her cruel stepmother and her stepmother's two greedy daughters.

Her stepmother seemed happy about the death of her father. She smiled constantly. She never cried, not even once, during the kings' funeral. Maria knew that her stepmother wanted to inherit everything and seize power.

After the funeral they returned to the castle. When they arrived, the queen started to shout at Maria, saying to her, "Maria, wash the floors with this toothbrush."

"I'm not your servant," replied Maria, but the three women bothered her so that she began to lose hope.

Maria was angry one day when, upon cleaning the hall, her stepmother left mud on the floor and ordered her to clean the floor a second time. Maria shouted, "No! I'm not going to work as your slave ever again." Then she left the castle and never returned.

Maria fled to the city where she met a tall, dark and handsome man. They chatted a while and she fell in love. He recognized her. He knew that she was the princess and he loved her. Later they married.

After the wedding, they discovered that the princess had inherited all of her father's kindgom. The queen had to leave, but Maria had pity on her. She allowed her to stay in the country if she would work in the castle, cleaning and tidying everything. It happened that the three lived happily in the super-clean castle.

The Conductor's Obsession

The third Spanish short story was written by Kelsie Doss. This story is about a veteran train conductor who, due to a recent train wreck, has an emotional obstacle to overcome.

Kelsie Doss, Grade 9

La Obsesión del Conductor

En la estación del tren, muchos pasajeros están en el andén, esperando la llegada del tren. Cuando el tren llegó, ellos abordaron.

El conductor, Señor Garcia, estuvo listo a comenzar el viaje. El estaba un poco nervioso porque había sido un choque hace dos meses y todavía recordaba lo que pasó cuando el tren chocó.

Su último viaje tuvo lugar en la noche del accidente. La noche estaba muy oscura y lluviosa. Los rieles estuvieron mojados. Señor Garcia miraba la tierra mojada. De repente, habia un ruido espantoso y el tren estremeció. Cuando el tren acercó la curva, comenzó a volcar. Todos los coches saltaron los rieles y cayeron como los dominos. El sonido del accidente le hizo sordo al conductor. Los pasajeros estuvieron asustados y algunos estuvieron malheridos. Afortunadamente, nadie murió. Era un milagro.

Pasaron muchos días en limpiar el lio y el conductor todavía estaba nervioso a causa de la experiencia.

Mientras el tren salió lentamente de la estación, el conductor veía que estaba nublado y venía lluvia. Pero Señor Garcia no era cobarde! El decidió que lo que pasó aquella noche oscura pertence a su pasado. No va a permitir que los recuerdos del accidente le obsesionaron.


English

The Conductor's Obsession

At the train station many passengers were on the platform awaiting the train's arrival. When the train arrived, they boarded.

The conductor, Mr. Garcia, was ready to begin the trip. He was a little nervious because there had been a crash two months before and he still remembered what happened when the train crashed.

His last trip took place on the night of the accident. The night was very dark and rainy. The tracks were wet. Mr. Garcia was looking at the wet earth. Suddenly, there was a frightening noise and the train shook. When the train approached the curve, it began to overturn. All the cars jumped the rails and fell like dominos. The sound of the accident made the conductor deaf. The passengers were frightened and some were badly injured. Fortunately, no one died. It was a miracle.

It took many days to clean up the mess and the conductor was still nervious because of the experience.

As the train slowly left the station, the conductor saw that it was cloudy and rain was coming, but Mr. Garcia was no coward! He decided that what happened that dark night belongs to his past. He wasn't going to permit memories of the accident to obsess him.

The Watchful Store Clerk

The second Spanish story, written by Brittany Cole, tells how a vigilant store clerk spoiled a shoplifting attempt and earned a reward.


Brittany Cole, grade 9

La Dependiente Vigilante

Había sido un invierno muy frío. La gente venía y iba de tienda a tienda buscando la ropa del invierno. Todas se llevaron mucha ropa que les protegen del frío intenso.

Un dia por la tarde, una muchacha entró la tienda de ropa. Se llevaba los jeans sucios y una camiseta blanca. También tuvo una bolsa grande.

La dependiente pagaba atención a la chica porque ella no parecía como la mayoría de sus clientes. No tuvo abrigo ni bufanda como los demás.

La dependiente se acercó y dijo: “¿Puedo ayudarte, señorita?”

“No, justo quiero mirar,” repuso la chica.

La dependiente volvió a su tarea. Tuvo que colgar unas blusas nuevas. Mientras colgaba la ropa, mantuvo en visto la muchacha. La dependiente creyó que ella actuaba extrañamente.

La muchacha quizo probarse unas artículos de ropa: una chaqueta de cuero, un par de guantes y una bufanda. La dependiente abrió la puerta del camerino y la muchacha entró.

La dependiente preguntó al gerente, “¿Crees que ella va a comprar o robar las prendas?”

El gerente repuso, “Quién sabe. Ponga atención. Me parece que ella tiene poco dinero.”

Pasaron cinco minutos. La chica salió del camerino pero no tuvo los guantes y la bufanda. Después de pagar por la chaqueta, ella se dirigió a la puerta.

La dependiente buscó los guantes y la bufanda en el camerino, pero no estuvieron allí. Entonces ella avanzó y interceptó a la chica enfrente de la puerta.

“Puedo ver tu bolsa?” pidió la dependiente amablemente.

“No. Es mi bolsa,” la chica repuso en voz alta.

En ese momento, vino el gerente con una guardia. La guardia pidió permiso abrir la bolsa y la chica, quien estaba asustada, no habló.

“Usted intentó a robar,” dijo el gerente. “Tienes que ir a la oficina con la guardia.”

La chica frunció los labios y siguió guardando silencio mientras andaba con la guardia a la oficina.

El gerente de la tienda dijo a la dependiente, “Gracias. Eres una dependiente heróica. Mereces una recompensa por su acción.”

La dependiente recibió cien dólares y un día libre. Ella decidió a gozar su día libre en la primavera, cuando ella podría tomar el sol.



English

The Watchful Store Clerk


It had been a very cold winter. People were coming and going from store to store, looking for winter clothing. Everyone was wearing a lot of clothes to protect them from the intense cold.

One afternoon, a girl entered the clothing store. She was wearing dirty jeans and a white tee-shirt. She also carried a large handbag.

The store clerk payed attention to the girl because she wasn't like the majority of her customers. She had neither a coat nor a scarf like the others.

The clerk approached and asked the girl, "Can I help you?"

"No, I just want to look," replied the girl.

The store clerk returned to her work. She had to hang up some new blouses. While she hung up the blouses she keep her eyes on the girl. The clerk believed that the girl was acting strangely.

The girl wanted to try on some articles of clothing: a leather jacket, a pair of gloves and a scarf. The clerk opened the door of the dressing room and the girl entered.

The clerk asked the manager, "Do you think that she is going to buy or steal the clothes?"

"Who knows," replied the manager. "Pay attention. It seems to me that she has little money."

Five minutes passed. The girl came out of the dressing room but she didn't have the gloves and the scarf. After paying for the jacket, she headed to the door.

The clerk searched for the gloves and the scarf in the dressing room but they weren't there. Then she advanced and intercepted the girl in front of the door.

"May I see your handbag," asked the clerk amiably.

"No. It's my handbag," replied the girl in a loud voice.

At that moment the manager arrived with a guard. The guard asked permission to open the handbag, and the girl, who was frightened, didn't speak.

"You tried to steal," said the manager. "You have to go to the office with the guard."

The girl puckered her lips and kept silent while she walked with the guard to the office.

The manager of the store said to the clerk, "Thank you. You are a heroic clerk. You deserve a reward for your action."

The clerk received $100. and a free day. She decided to enjoy her free day in the spring when she would be able to sunbathe.

Spanish Short Stories

At a central Kentucky high school, Spanish 2 students recently competed in a Spanish short story contest. From the 48 entries, a panel of 3 judges selected 19 finalists. From these 19 stories, the judges selected 6 winners. Stories were evaluated on the quality of the Spanish, the development of plot and character, and the story's ending.

The stories will be reproduced as the students wrote them, although there were some mistakes. Overall, these stories represent tremendous effort and a high skill level for Spanish 2 students.

The following students' stories won:

Seath Beasley
Brittany Cole
Kelsie Doss
Taylor Goodlett
Benjamin Guzicki
Daniel Lyons

For the next six days, each of their stories will be published at "Students Publish Here!" The Spanish will appear, followed by an English translation. Today we begin with Seth Beasley's story about a hunter's run-in with a bear.


Seth Beasley, Grade 9

Cazando y Cazado

Un dia un cazador fue al bosque. En el bosque el encontró un oso enorme que le asustó mucho al cazador. El cazador estaba sudando mientras corría del oso peligroso.

Entró una cueva, pero el oso intentaba a entrar también. El cazador disparó su rifle, pero faltó. Entonces el cazador echó una piedra que cayó a la tierra detrás del oso. El oso estuvo distraído por el ruido y se fue.

Cuando el oso se había ido, el cazador pensó en cazar otra vez.

Se dijo, “Espero que el ciervo vendrá.”

El cazador comenzó a cazar de nuevo. El quería la carne de venado para su familia. El esperaba mucho tiempo en su escondite, pero no vinieron los ciervos.

De repente, el cazador oyó un rugido detrás de él. El se dió cuento de que era el oso. El oso había regresado y todavía estaba enojado.

“Aye de mi!” chilló el cazador.

El subió un árbol, pero el oso le persiguió. Afortunadamente, el cazador pudo disparar su rifle y el oso murió, cayendo al suelo. El cazador bajó el árbol y comenzó a cortar el oso, aunque a él no le gustaba mucho la carne de oso. Pero aquel oso iba a ser rico, porque era un enemigo muerto, no vivo.


English

Hunting and Hunted


One day a hunter went to the woods. There he encountered an enormous bear that frightened him a lot. The hunter was sweating as he ran from the dangerous bear.

He entered a cave, but the bear attempted to enter also. The hunter fired his rifle but it missed. Then the hunter threw a stone that fell on the ground behind the bear. The bear was distracted by the noise and went away.

When the bear had gone away, the hunter thought again about hunting.

He said to himself, "I hope that the deer will come."

The hunter began to hunt again. He wanted the venison for his family. He waited a long time in his hideout, but the deer didn't come.

Suddenly the hunter heard a roar behind him. He realized that the bear had come back and was still angry.

"Oh my gosh!" screamed the hunter.

He climbed a tree but the bear pursued him. Fortunately, the hunter was able to fire his rifle and the bear died, falling to the ground. The hunter climbed down the tree and began to cut up the bear, although he didn't like bear meat very much. But that bear was going to be tasty because it was a dead enemy, not a live one.