Portada de The Golden Arm

Here was once a man who travelled the land all over in search of a wife. He saw young and old, rich and poor, pretty and plain, and could not meet with one to his mind. At last he found a woman, young, fair, and rich, who possessed a right arm of solid gold. He married her at once, and thought no man so fortunate as he was. They lived happily together, but, though he wished people to think otherwise, he was fonder of the golden arm than of all his wife's gifts besides.

Había una vez un hombre que recorrió toda la tierra en busca de esposa. Vio jóvenes y viejas, ricas y pobres, bonitas y sencillas, y no lograba encontrar una que le gustara. Al fin encontró una mujer, joven, hermosa y rica, que tenía un brazo derecho de oro macizo. Se casó con ella de inmediato, y pensó que ningún hombre era tan afortunado como él. Vivieron felices juntos, pero, aunque quería que la gente pensara lo contrario, él apreciaba más el brazo de oro que todos los demás dones de su esposa.

At last she died. The husband put on the blackest black, and pulled the longest face at the funeral; but for all that he got up in the middle of the night, dug up the body, and cut off the golden arm. He hurried home to hide his treasure, and thought no one would know.

Al fin ella murió. El marido se vistió del negro más negro, y puso la cara más larga en el funeral; pero aun así se levantó a mitad de la noche, desenterró el cuerpo, y le cortó el brazo de oro. Corrió a casa para esconder su tesoro, pensando que nadie lo sabría.

The following night he put the golden arm under his pillow, and was just falling asleep, when the ghost of his dead wife glided into the room. Stalking up to the bedside it drew the curtain, and looked at him reproachfully. Pretending not to be afraid, he spoke to the ghost, and said: “What hast thou done with thy cheeks so red?”

La noche siguiente puso el brazo de oro bajo su almohada, y justo se estaba quedando dormido, cuando el fantasma de su esposa muerta se deslizó en la habitación. Acercándose a la cama, corrió la cortina, y lo miró con reproche. Fingiendo no tener miedo, le habló al fantasma, y dijo: «¿Qué has hecho con tus mejillas tan rojas?»

“All withered and wasted away,” replied the ghost, in a hollow tone.

«Todas marchitas y consumidas,» respondió el fantasma, con voz hueca.

“What hast thou done with thy red rosy lips?”

«¿Qué has hecho con tus labios rojos como rosas?»

“All withered and wasted away.”

«Todas marchitas y consumidas.»

“What hast thou done with thy golden hair?”

«¿Qué has hecho con tu cabello dorado?»

“All withered and wasted away.”

«Todas marchitas y consumidas.»

“What hast thou done with thy Golden Arm?”

«¿Qué has hecho con tu Brazo de Oro?»

“THOU HAST IT!”

«¡TÚ LO TIENES!»

🧠 Comprueba tu comprensión

  1. Why does the man marry the woman he chooses?

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    Respuesta: She is young, rich, and has an arm of solid gold

    Among all the women he meets, he picks her because she is young, fair, and rich, with a golden right arm — and he secretly loves the arm more than her.

  2. What does the husband do the night after his wife's funeral?

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    Respuesta: He digs up her body and cuts off the golden arm

    Despite his show of grief at the funeral, he sneaks out that night, digs up the body, and takes the golden arm for himself.

  3. Who visits the husband as he is falling asleep with the golden arm under his pillow?

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    Respuesta: The ghost of his dead wife

    His wife's ghost glides into the room, draws the curtain, and looks at him reproachfully.

  4. What does the ghost say happened to her cheeks, lips, and hair?

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    Respuesta: They all withered and wasted away

    To each question the husband asks, the ghost gives the same hollow answer: "All withered and wasted away."

  5. What does the ghost finally say when asked about the golden arm?

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    Respuesta: "Thou hast it!"

    Unlike her cheeks, lips, and hair, the golden arm did not waste away — the ghost accuses her husband directly of having it.

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