Hover over Guaraní morphemes written in purple to see their syntactic function.

Audio for Story #11:

A wagon passed on top of a snake and broke it in half.

Sobre una víbora pasó una carreta y le trozó la cintura.

And then Peru came to find a snake that was suffering there and was wallowing.

Y después Peru vino a encontrar a la víbora que estaba padeciendo ahí [y] se estaba revolcando.

And that another wagon more will pass on top of him.

Y que le pasará encima otra carreta más.

And then Peru got closer to it: “Poor thing, this snake,” he said, “it is doing very badly.”

Y entonces ya Peru sea acerca a él: “Pobrecito, esta víbora,” dijo, “está muy mal.”

And he slowly fought with it,

Y guerreó despacito con él,

...he put a stick under it, he sat it down, and with patience lifted it.

...puso debajo [de la víbora] un garrote [un palo], le sentó bien, con paciencia le alzó.

He removed it from the trail.

Lo sacó del camino.

Then he went and found an anthill with a hole and put the snake there behind it.

Después se fue a encontrar un hormiguero con agujero y le metió ahí detrás a la víbora.

Slowly he pushed it, sending the tail to the end of the anthill,

Lentamente le empujó, la cola mandó al fondo del hormiguero,

...and he left her head out [in the entrance hole] so it could look out.

...y le dejó la cabecita afuera [en el agujero de la entrada] para mirar.

And when Peru was going to leave, the snake said to him:

Cuando Peru se iba a ir, la víbora le dijo:

Bring your finger and put it in my mouth.

Trae tu dedo y lo mete en mi boca.

“What the devil, you will bite me or what!” said Peru to him.

¡Al diablo, me has de morder! –le dijo Peru.

"No, I will not bite you. Pass me your finger."

“No, no te voy a morder. Pasame si que tu dedo.”

"You might bite," Peru said to him again.

--Me has de morder—le volvió a decir Peru.

"Pass me your finger, don’t be afraid."

"Pasame si que, no tengas miedo."

"What I have in my mouth will make you happy," he said to him.

Te va alegrar lo que hay en mi boca –le dijo.

And on the third time, Peru put his hand in the snake’s mouth and,

Y a la tercera vez, metió la mano Peru en la boca de la víbora y,

...when removing it, it is said that a ring came out on his finger.

...al sacar, dice que salió un anillo por su dedo.

"That your ring that has virtue; you will ask it what[ever] you want,"

"Ese, ese anillo que tiene virtud; vos le vas a pedir [por] lo que quieras,"

"...there is nothing that you wouldn’t be able to obtain," said the snake to him.

...no hay cosa que no vas a poder conseguir –le dijo la víbora.

"You saved me from death."

"Vos me salvaste de la muerte."

Then Peru went out and went to sit on a former tree trunk and thought about what thing that he could ask for.

Después salió y se fué a sentarse Peru sobre un tronco de tajy y pensó que cosa es lo que podría pedir.

“Yes, I know already,” he said suddenly.

Ya sé, dijo de repente.

And he went to ask for the King’s daughter’s hand.

Y fue para a pedir por la hija del señor Rei.

He arrived at the palace and entered to talk with the King.

Llegó al Palacio y entró luego a conversar con el Rey.

He told him he wanted to marry his daughter.

Le dijo él que quiere casarse con su hija.

And “there is no problem,” he said to the King.

Y “no hay problema”, le dijo el señor Rey.

“I only want to first see your will,” he said, “Let’s work [on it].”

“Quiero ver primero tu voluntad,” le dijo, “Vamos a trabajar."

The King went with Peru to work in the fields, an employee with them.

El Rey luego se fué con Peru para trabajar ellos en el campo, un empleado con ellos.

Peru went there to ask him what tools he needed.

Se fue ahí a preguntarle Peru qué herramientas necesitaba.

"And bring us three shovels," the King told him.

“Y traenos tres palas," le dijo el Rey.

And Peru went again to the Palace.

Y se fue de vuelta Peru al palacio.

He arrived and found there three misses, the King's servants.

Llegó y encontró ahí tres señoritas, las criadas del Rey.

"Mr. King wants to see 'my power' and he wants that, 'I fix you all,'” said Peru to them.

El Señor Rey quiere ver mi voluntad, y quiere él que “les arregle” –les dijo Peru.

"Total liar," said the ladies, "[what the hell] we don’t believe that the King sent you."

Mentiroso –dijeron las señoritas--, qué Rey te va a enviar.

"And then ask him please, he is there in the field."

"Y pregúntenle un poco entonces, está allá en el campo él."

"You ask him," they [the servants] told him.

Preguntale vos –le dijeron [las criadas].

There Peru bent over and screamed and made a signal to the King:

Ahi se encorvó Peru y gritó y le hizo seña al rey:

"Right, Mr. King, you want to see [the extent of] my power!"

"¡Verdad, señor Rey, queres ver mi gran voluntad!"

And the King assented with a nod.

Y asintió con la cabeza el Rey.

And then he showed to the King three fingers:

Y después le mostró al Rey tres dedos:

"Really, you want all three of them!"

"Verdad que querés a todas las tres!"

And the King again assented with a nod (he thought he was talking about the shovels).

Y asintió con la cabeza otra vez el Rey (creyó que le decía por las palas, había sido).

And when Mr.King had finished saying it all to him:

Y cuando el Señor Rey terminó de decirle:

"You see, come here now!" Peru said to the women.

Ya vieron, vengan ya aca! –le dijo Peru a las mujeres.

And he shoved them into the room and made them cluck outloud, all three of them.

Y ya a empujones ya les metió en la pieza, y les hizo cacarear a todas las tres.