Aesop 102: Mercury & the Woodman

【1】 Mercurius ar Töahto

  

► Mercury & the Woodman

【2】 --



► --

【3】 Penya töahto lasteánë ornë ara réna núra lóno tauressë.

         

► A poor Woodman was cutting down a tree near the edge of a deep pool in the forest.

¶ Þinyë amna ánië ar i töahto lumba nánë.

        

► It was late in the day and the Woodman was tired.

¶ Mótiénes anarórello ar hastaryar láner tandë emecimë ve arinya sana arinessë.

           

► He had been working since sunrise and his strokes were not so sure as they had been early that morning.

¶ Sin tullunë sa i pelecco lincë máryalto ar lantanë mir i lóna.

            

► Thus it happened that the axe slipped and flew out of his hands into the pool.

【4】 I töahto estelenca nánë.

    

► The Woodman was in despair.

¶ Sana pelecco erya aurassa nánë yanen encë sen lauleta, ar pennes fáreä telpë homanciën vinyava.

                

► The axe was all he possessed with which to make a living, and he had not money enough to buy a new one.

¶ Lan táranes, quárala mát ar nítala, i vala Mercurius nemunë ríhavë ar maquentë mana súta hye.

                  

► As he stood wringing his hands and weeping, the god Mercury suddenly appeared and asked what the trouble was.

¶ I töahto nyarnë mana tulluyénë ar ú pusto hondolauca Mercurius tumbë mir i lóna.

              

► The Woodman told what had happened, and straightway the kind Mercury dived into the pool.

¶ Yá eneppes, cavanes elmendeä maltaina pelecco quáressë.

        

► When he came up again he held a wonderful golden axe.

【5】 “Ma sina peleccolya?” maquentë Mercurius i töahtonna.

       

► "Is this your axe?" Mercury asked the Woodman.

【6】 “Lása”, i óripanta töahto hanquentë, “tina lá pelecconya.”

          

► "No," answered the honest Woodman, "that is not my axe."

【7】 Mercurius caitanë i maltaina pelecco i rávanna ar campë ata mir i lóna.

             

► Mercury laid the golden axe on the bank and sprang back into the pool.

¶ Silumë ambatulyanes telpina pelecco, mal i töahto quentë ata sa peleccorya nánë rië senya-ma ó toina mampa.

                  

► This time he brought up an axe of silver, but the Woodman declared again that his axe was just an ordinary one with a wooden handle.

【8】 Mercurius undutumbë nelyallumë, ar yá eppes, cavanes ina pelecco ya a-róvë.

             

► Mercury dived down for the third time, and when he came up again he had the very axe that had been lost.

【9】 Fastanë lacë i penya töahto ha a-hírië peleccorya ar lá teluvánë hantaitarya i hondolauca valan.

               

► The poor Woodman was very glad that his axe had been found and could not thank the kind god enough.

¶ Mercurius nánë anfasta i töahto óripantiénen.

      

► Mercury was greatly pleased with the Woodman's honesty.

【10】 “Mírindan óripantiëlya”, eques, “ar paityalénen lertal hepë ilyë peleccor neldë: i maltaina, i telpina, véralya.”

                    

► "I admire your honesty," he said, "and as a reward you may have all three axes, the gold and the silver as well as your own."

【11】 I alasseä töahto nanwennë mardaryanna ó mainaryar, ar rongo almaresso quenta nánë sinwa illin i opelessë.

                 

► The happy Woodman returned to his home with his treasures, and soon the story of his good fortune was known to everybody in the village.

¶ San nótimë töahtoli namner sa ecë ten tuhta imya almarë aþcárimávë.

           

► Now there were several Woodmen in the village who believed that they could easily win the same good fortune.

¶ Ronganeltë mir i taurë, anë sinna, hyanë tanna, nurtaner peleccoltar tussassen ar nentaner sa oróviëltet.

                  

► They hurried out into the woods, one here, one there, and hiding their axes in the bushes, pretended they had lost them.

¶ Tá nítaneltë ta yaiyar ta yalir Mercuriussen i aþyuvas hin.

          

► Then they wept and wailed and called on Mercury to help them.

【12】 Ar naitië, Mercurius e nemunë, minyavë anen, neunavë hyanen.

            

► And indeed, Mercury did appear, first to this one, then to that.

¶ Ilyan apantanes maltaina pelecco ar ilya cannë caira sa nása ita oróviës.

            

► To each one he showed an axe of gold, and each one eagerly claimed it to be the one he had lost.

¶ Mal Mercurius vá antanë ten i maltaina pelecco.

        

► But Mercury did not give them the golden axe.

¶ Láto! Minomë so, turca palances ilya carenna, ar leltanet mar.

            

► Oh no! Instead he gave them each a hard whack over the head with it and sent them home.

¶ Ar yá entuller enar þuriënna vérë peleccoiva, tai vániéner ú runyo.::

           

► And when they returned next day to look for their own axes, they were nowhere to be found.

【13】 --



► --

【14】 Eques: Óripantië carrantion arya.

     

► Motto: Honesty is the best policy.