The Fox as Herdsman
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A woman looking for a herdsman turns down a growling bear and a howling wolf, then hires a fox with a lovely singing voice — a choice that explains a curious mark every fox still carries.
Once on a time there was a woman who went out to hire a herdsman, and she met a bear.
Pada suatu ketika ada seorang wanita yang pergi keluar untuk mencari seorang gembala, dan ia bertemu dengan seekor beruang.
“Whither away, Goody?” said Bruin.
"Mau ke mana, Bu?" kata Beruang.
“Oh, I’m going out to hire a herdsman”, answered the woman.
"Oh, aku sedang mencari seorang gembala," jawab wanita itu.
“Why not have me for a herdsman?” said Bruin.
"Mengapa tidak memilih aku sebagai gembala?" kata Beruang.
“Well, why not?” said the woman. “If you only knew how to call the flock; just let me hear?”
"Baiklah, mengapa tidak?" kata wanita itu. "Kalau kau tahu cara memanggil kawanan domba, coba perdengarkan padaku?"
“OW, OW!” growled the bear.
"AUM, AUM!" geram beruang itu.
“No, no! I won’t have you”, said the woman, as soon as she heard him say that, and off she went on her way.
"Tidak, tidak! Aku tak mau kau," kata wanita itu, begitu ia mendengar suara itu, lalu ia pun melanjutkan perjalanannya.
So, when she had gone a bit further, she met a wolf.
Maka, setelah berjalan agak jauh, ia bertemu dengan seekor serigala.
“Whither away, Goody?” asked the Wolf.
"Mau ke mana, Bu?" tanya Serigala.
“Oh!” said she, “I’m going out to hire a herdsman.”
"Oh!" kata wanita itu, "aku sedang mencari seorang gembala."
“Why not have me for a herdsman?” said the Wolf.
"Mengapa tidak memilih aku sebagai gembala?" kata Serigala.
“Well, why not? if you can only call the flock; let me hear?” said she.
"Baiklah, mengapa tidak? Kalau kau bisa memanggil kawanan domba; coba perdengarkan padaku?" katanya.
“UH, UH!” said the Wolf.
"UH, UH!" kata Serigala.
“No, no!” said the woman; “you’ll never do for me.”
"Tidak, tidak!" kata wanita itu; "kau tak akan pernah cocok untukku."
Well, after she had gone a while longer, she met a fox.
Nah, setelah berjalan lagi beberapa saat, ia bertemu dengan seekor rubah.
“Whither away, Goody?” asked the Fox.
"Mau ke mana, Bu?" tanya Rubah.
“Oh, I’m just going out to hire a herdsman”, said the woman.
"Oh, aku hanya sedang mencari seorang gembala," kata wanita itu.
“Why not have me for your herdsman?” asked the Fox.
"Mengapa tidak memilih aku sebagai gembalamu?" tanya Rubah.
“Well, why not?” said she; “if you only knew how to call the flock; let me hear?”
"Baiklah, mengapa tidak?" kata wanita itu; "kalau kau tahu cara memanggil kawanan domba; coba perdengarkan padaku?"
“DIL-DAL-HOLOM”, sung out the Fox, in such a fine clear voice.
"DIL-DAL-HOLOM," nyanyi Rubah, dengan suara yang begitu merdu dan jernih.
“Yes; I’ll have you for my herdsman”, said the woman; and so she set the Fox to herd her flock.
"Ya; aku akan memilihmu sebagai gembalaku," kata wanita itu; dan ia pun mempekerjakan Rubah untuk menggembalakan kawanannya.
The first day the Fox was herdsman he ate up all the woman’s goats; the next day he made an end of all her sheep; and the third day he ate up all her kine. So, when he came home at even, the woman asked what he had done with all her flocks?
Hari pertama Rubah menjadi gembala, ia melahap habis semua kambing wanita itu; hari berikutnya ia menghabisi semua dombanya; dan hari ketiga ia melahap semua sapinya. Maka, ketika ia pulang pada sore hari, wanita itu bertanya apa yang telah ia lakukan dengan semua ternaknya?
“Oh!” said the Fox, “their skulls are in the stream, and their bodies in the holt.”
"Oh!" kata Rubah, "tengkorak-tengkorak mereka ada di sungai, dan tubuh mereka ada di hutan kecil."
Now, the Goody stood and churned when the fox said this, but she thought she might as well step out and see after her flock; and while she was away the Fox crept into the churn and ate up the cream. So when the Goody came back and saw that, she fell into such a rage, that she snatched up the little morsel of the cream that was left, and threw it at the fox as he ran off, so that he got a dab of it on the end of his tail, and that’s the reason why the fox has a white tip to his brush.
Nah, si ibu sedang berdiri mengaduk mentega ketika rubah mengatakan itu, tetapi ia pikir sebaiknya ia keluar untuk memeriksa ternaknya; dan selagi ia pergi, Rubah menyelinap masuk ke dalam pengaduk mentega dan melahap habis krimnya. Jadi ketika si ibu kembali dan melihat itu, ia menjadi begitu marah, sehingga ia menyambar sisa sedikit krim yang tertinggal dan melemparkannya ke arah rubah saat ia melarikan diri, sehingga ujung ekornya terkena cipratan krim itu, dan itulah sebabnya mengapa rubah memiliki ujung ekor berwarna putih.
