Caperucita Roja
Había una vez una niña muy bonita. Su madre
le había
hecho una capa roja y la muchachita la llevaba
tan a
menudo que todo el mundo la llamaba Caperucita
Roja. Un día, su madre le pidió que llevase
unos
pasteles a su abuela que vivía al otro lado
del bosque
, recomendándole que no se entretuviese por
el
camino, pues cruzar el bosque era muy peligroso,
ya
que siempre andaba acechando por allí el
lobo.
Caperucita Roja recogió la cesta con los
pasteles y
se puso en camino. La niña tenía que atravesar
el
bosque para llegar a casa de la Abuelita,
pero no le
daba miedo porque allí siempre se encontraba
con
muchos amigos: los pájaros, las ardillas...
De repente
vio al lobo, que era enorme, delante de
ella. - ¿A
dónde vas, niña?- le preguntó el lobo con
su voz
ronca. - A casa de mi Abuelita- le dijo Caperucita.
-
No está lejos- pensó el lobo para sí, dándose
media
vuelta. Caperucita puso su cesta en la hierba
y se
entretuvo cogiendo flores: - El lobo se ha
ido -pensó-,
no tengo nada que temer. La abuela se pondrá
muy
contenta cuando le lleve un hermoso ramo
de flores
además de los pasteles. Mientras tanto, el
lobo se fue
a casa de la Abuelita, llamó suavemente
a la puerta y
la anciana le abrió pensando que era Caperucita.
Un
cazador que pasaba por allí había observado
la
llegada del lobo. El lobo devoró a la Abuelita
y se
puso el gorro rosa de la desdichada, se metió
en la
cama y cerró los ojos. No tuvo que esperar
mucho,
pues Caperucita Roja llegó enseguida, toda
contenta
. La niña se acercó a la cama y vio que su
abuela
estaba muy cambiada. - Abuelita, abuelita,
¡qué ojos
más grandes tienes! - Son para verte mejor-
dijo el
lobo tratando de imitar la voz de la abuela.
- Abuelita,
abuelita, ¡qué orejas más grandes tienes!
- Son para
oírte mejor- siguió diciendo el lobo. - Abuelita,
abuelita, ¡qué dientes más grandes tienes!
- Son
para...¡comerte mejoooor!- y diciendo esto,
el lobo
malvado se abalanzó sobre la niñita y la
devoró, lo
mismo que había hecho con la abuelita. Mientras
tanto, el cazador se había quedado preocupado
y
creyendo adivinar las malas intenciones del
lobo,
decidió echar un vistazo a ver si todo iba
bien en la
casa de la Abuelita. Pidió ayuda a un segador
y los
dos juntos llegaron al lugar. Vieron la puerta
de la
casa abierta y al lobo tumbado en la cama,
dormido
de tan harto que estaba. El cazador sacó
su cuchillo y
rajó el vientre del lobo. La Abuelita y
Caperucita
estaban allí, ¡vivas!. Para castigar al lobo
malo, el
cazador le llenó el vientre de piedras y
luego lo volvió
a cerrar. Cuando el lobo despertó de su
pesado
sueño, sintió muchísima sed y se dirigió
a un
estanque próximo para beber. Como las piedras
pesaban mucho, cayó en el estanque de cabeza
y
después de un gran chapuzón
salió escarmentado y
se fue muy lejos. En cuanto a Caperucita
y su abuela, no
sufrieron más que un gran susto, pero Caperucita
Roja había aprendido la lección. Prometió
a su
Abuelita no hablar con ningún desconocido
que se
encontrara en el camino. De ahora en adelante,
seguiría las juiciosas recomendaciones de
su
Abuelita y de su Mamá.
FIN
Volver
The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled. My own fancy grew warm with the Medoc. We had passed through walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of catacombs. I paused again, and this time I made bold to seize Fortunato by an arm above the elbow.
"The nitre!" I said; "see, it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults. We are below the river's bed. The drops of moisture trickle among the bones. Come, we will go back ere it is too late. Your cough--"
"It is nothing," he said; "let us go on. But first, another draught of the Medoc."
I broke and reached him a flagon of De Grave. He emptied it at a breath. His eyes flashed with a fierce light. He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand.
I looked at him in surprise. He repeated the movement--a grotesque one.
"You do not comprehend?" he said.
"Not I," I replied.
"Then you are not of the brotherhood."
"How?"
"You are not of the masons."
"Yes, yes," I said; "yes, yes."
"You? Impossible! A mason?"
"A mason," I replied.
"A sign," he said, "a sign."
"It is this," I answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire.
"You jest," he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. "But let us proceed to the Amontillado."
"Be it so," I said, replacing the tool beneath the cloak and again offering him my arm. He leaned upon it heavily. We continued our route in search of the Amontillado. We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.
At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. Its walls had been lined with human remains, piled to the vault overhead, in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented in this manner. From the fourth side the bones had been thrown down, and lay promiscuously upon the earth, forming at one point a mound of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, we perceived a still interior recess, in depth about four feet in width three, in height six or seven. It seemed to have been constructed for no especial use within itself, but formed merely the interval between two of the colossal supports of the roof of the catacombs, and was backed by one of their circumscribing walls of solid granite.
It was in vain that Fortunato, uplifting his dull torch, endeavoured to pry into the depth of the recess. Its termination the feeble light did not enable us to see.
"Proceed," I said; "herein is the Amontillado. As for Luchesi--"
"He is an ignoramus," interrupted my friend, as he stepped unsteadily forward, while I followed immediately at his heels. In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally. From one of these depended a short chain, from the other a padlock. Throwing the links about his waist, it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it. He was too much astounded to resist. Withdrawing the key I stepped back from the recess.
"Pass your hand," I said, "over the wall; you cannot help feeling the nitre. Indeed, it is very damp. Once more let me implore you to return. No? Then I must positively leave you. But I must first render you all the little attentions in my power."
"The Amontillado!" ejaculated my friend, not yet recovered from his astonishment.
"True," I replied; "the Amontillado."
As I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones of which I have before spoken. Throwing them aside, I soon un- covered a quantity of building stone and mortar. With these materials and with the aid of my trowel, I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of the niche.
I had scarcely laid the first tier of the masonry when I discovered that the intoxication of Fortunato had in a great measure worn off. The earliest indication I had of this was a low moaning cry from the depth of the recess. It was not the cry of a drunken man. There was then a long and obstinate silence. I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones. When at last the clanking subsided, I resumed the trowel, and finished without interruption the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh tier. The wall was now nearly upon a level with my breast. I again paused, and holding the flambeaux over the mason-work, threw a few feeble rays upon the figure within.
A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated-- I trembled. Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of the catacombs, and felt satisfied. I reapproached the wall; I replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I re-echoed-- I aided-- I surpassed them in volume and in strength. I did this, and the clamourer grew still.
It was now midnight, and my task was drawing to a close. I had completed the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth tier. I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight; I placed it partially in its destined position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head. It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato. The voice said--
"Ha! ha! ha!--he! he! he!--a very good joke indeed--an excellent jest. We shall have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo--he! he! he!--over our wine--he! he! he!"
"The Amontillado!" I said.
"He! he! he!--he! he! he!--yes, the Amontillado. But is it not getting late? Will not they be awaiting us at the palazzo, the Lady Fortunato and the rest? Let us be gone."
"Yes," I said, "let us be gone."
" For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!"
But to these words I hearkened in vain for a reply. I grew impatient. I called aloud--
"Fortunato!"
No answer. I called again--
"Fortunato--"
No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in reply only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick on account of the dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!
