The Tale of Tom Kitten
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Three kittens are scrubbed, brushed, and buttoned into their finest clothes for their mother's tea party — but a climb over the garden wall and a run-in with some very odd ducks put those clothes to the test.
Once upon a time there were three little kittens, and their names were Mittens, Tom Kitten, and Moppet.
Era uma vez três gatinhos, e seus nomes eram Mittens, Tom Kitten e Moppet.
They had dear little fur coats of their own; and they tumbled about the doorstep and played in the dust.
Eles tinham seus próprios casaquinhos de pelo; e rolavam pela soleira da porta e brincavam na poeira.
But one day their mother—Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit—expected friends to tea; so she fetched the kittens indoors, to wash and dress them, before the fine company arrived.
Mas um dia sua mãe — a Sra. Tabitha Twitchit — esperava amigas para o chá; então ela trouxe os gatinhos para dentro, para lavá-los e vesti-los, antes que a fina companhia chegasse.
First she scrubbed their faces (this one is Moppet).
Primeiro ela esfregou os rostinhos deles (esta é a Moppet).
Then she brushed their fur, (this one is Mittens).
Depois escovou o pelo deles (esta é a Mittens).
Then she combed their tails and whiskers (this is Tom Kitten).
Depois penteou as caudas e os bigodes (este é o Tom Kitten).
Tom was very naughty, and he scratched.
Tom foi muito levado, e arranhou.
Mrs. Tabitha dressed Moppet and Mittens in clean pinafores and tuckers; and then she took all sorts of elegant uncomfortable clothes out of a chest of drawers, in order to dress up her son Thomas.
A Sra. Tabitha vestiu Moppet e Mittens com aventaizinhos e golinhas limpas; e então tirou todo tipo de roupas elegantes e desconfortáveis de uma cômoda, para vestir o seu filho Thomas.
Tom Kitten was very fat, and he had grown; several buttons burst off. His mother sewed them on again.
Tom Kitten estava muito gordo, e tinha crescido; vários botões arrebentaram. A mãe os costurou de novo.
When the three kittens were ready, Mrs. Tabitha unwisely turned them out into the garden, to be out of the way while she made hot buttered toast.
Quando os três gatinhos estavam prontos, a Sra. Tabitha, sem muita sabedoria, os mandou para o jardim, para ficarem fora do caminho enquanto ela fazia torradas quentes com manteiga.
"Now keep your frocks clean, children! You must walk on your hind legs. Keep away from the dirty ash-pit, and from Sally Henny Penny, and from the pig-stye and the Puddle-Ducks."
"Agora mantenham os vestidinhos limpos, crianças! Vocês devem andar nas patas de trás. Fiquem longe do monte de cinzas sujo, e da Sally Henny Penny, e do chiqueiro e dos Patos-Marchantes."
Moppet and Mittens walked down the garden path unsteadily. Presently they trod upon their pinafores and fell on their noses.
Moppet e Mittens desceram o caminho do jardim, instáveis. Logo pisaram nos próprios aventais e caíram de nariz no chão.
When they stood up there were several green smears!
Quando se levantaram, havia várias manchas verdes!
"Let us climb up the rockery, and sit on the garden wall," said Moppet.
"Vamos subir no jardim de pedras e sentar no muro do jardim," disse Moppet.
They turned their pinafores back to front, and went up with a skip and a jump; Moppet's white tucker fell down into the road.
Elas viraram os aventais para trás, e subiram com um pulo e um salto; a golinha branca de Moppet caiu na estrada.
Tom Kitten was quite unable to jump when walking upon his hind legs in trousers. He came up the rockery by degrees, breaking the ferns, and shedding buttons right and left.
Tom Kitten era totalmente incapaz de pular enquanto andava nas patas traseiras vestindo calças. Ele subiu no jardim de pedras aos poucos, quebrando as samambaias, e soltando botões para todo lado.
He was all in pieces when he reached the top of the wall.
Ele estava todo desmontado quando chegou ao topo do muro.
Moppet and Mittens tried to pull him together; his hat fell off, and the rest of his buttons burst.
Moppet e Mittens tentaram arrumá-lo; o chapéu dele caiu, e o resto dos botões arrebentaram.
While they were in difficulties, there was a pit pat paddle pat! and the three Puddle-Ducks came along the hard high road, marching one behind the other and doing the goose step—pit pat paddle pat! pit pat waddle pat!
Enquanto estavam em dificuldades, ouviu-se um chape-chape-chapinha! e os três Patos-Marchantes vieram pela estrada dura e alta, marchando um atrás do outro e fazendo passo de ganso — chape-chape-chapinha! chape-chape- chapinha!
They stopped and stood in a row, and stared up at the kittens. They had very small eyes and looked surprised.
Eles pararam e ficaram enfileirados, olhando para os gatinhos. Tinham olhinhos muito pequenos e pareciam surpresos.
Then the two duck-birds, Rebeccah and Jemima Puddle-Duck, picked up the hat and tucker and put them on.
Então os dois patinhos, Rebeccah e Jemima Puddle-Duck, pegaram o chapéu e a golinha e os vestiram.
Mittens laughed so that she fell off the wall. Moppet and Tom descended after her; the pinafores and all the rest of Tom's clothes came off on the way down.
Mittens riu tanto que caiu do muro. Moppet e Tom desceram atrás dela; os aventais e todo o resto das roupas de Tom caíram durante o caminho para baixo.
"Come! Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck," said Moppet—"Come and help us to dress him! Come and button up Tom!"
"Venha! Senhor Pato Drake," disse Moppet — "venha nos ajudar a vesti-lo! Venha abotoar o Tom!"
Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck advanced in a slow sideways manner, and picked up the various articles.
O Senhor Pato Drake avançou de um jeito lento e de lado, e pegou as várias peças de roupa.
But he put them on _himself!_ They fitted him even worse than Tom Kitten.
Mas ele as vestiu em si mesmo! Ficaram ainda piores nele do que em Tom Kitten.
"It's a very fine morning!" said Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck.
"É uma manhã muito bonita!" disse o Senhor Pato Drake.
And he and Jemima and Rebeccah Puddle-Duck set off up the road, keeping step—pit pat, paddle pat! pit pat, waddle pat!
E ele, e Jemima e Rebeccah Puddle-Duck saíram pela estrada, marchando juntos — chape-chape-chapinha! chape-chape-chapinha!
Then Tabitha Twitchit came down the garden and found her kittens on the wall with no clothes on.
Então Tabitha Twitchit desceu ao jardim e encontrou seus gatinhos no muro sem roupa nenhuma.
She pulled them off the wall, smacked them, and took them back to the house.
Ela os tirou do muro, deu-lhes umas palmadas, e os levou de volta para casa.
"My friends will arrive in a minute, and you are not fit to be seen; I am affronted," said Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit.
"Minhas amigas vão chegar a qualquer minuto, e vocês não estão apresentáveis; estou envergonhada," disse a Sra. Tabitha Twitchit.
She sent them upstairs; and I am sorry to say she told her friends that they were in bed with the measles; which was not true.
Ela os mandou para cima; e sinto dizer que contou às amigas que eles estavam de cama com sarampo; o que não era verdade.
Quite the contrary; they were not in bed: _not_ in the least.
Muito pelo contrário; eles não estavam de cama; de jeito nenhum.
Somehow there were very extraordinary noises over-head, which disturbed the dignity and repose of the tea party.
De algum modo, houve ruídos muito extraordinários lá em cima, que perturbaram a dignidade e a tranquilidade da festa de chá.
And I think that some day I shall have to make another, larger, book, to tell you more about Tom Kitten!
E acho que um dia terei que fazer outro livro, maior, para contar mais sobre o Tom Kitten!
As for the Puddle-Ducks—they went into a pond.
Quanto aos Patos-Marchantes — foram para uma lagoa.
The clothes all came off directly, because there were no buttons.
As roupas todas caíram na hora, porque não tinham botões.
And Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck, and Jemima and Rebeccah, have been looking for them ever since.
E o Senhor Pato Drake, e Jemima e Rebeccah, andam procurando por elas desde então.
