O caso do cheiro roubado

Há muito tempo, numa cidade movimentada, vivia um homem pobre chamado Tom.

Long ago in a busy town, there lived a poor man named Tom.

Ele não tinha dinheiro para comprar comida, mas todos os dias passava pela padaria.

He had no money for food, but every day he walked past a baker's shop.

O padeiro fez o pão mais maravilhoso.

The baker made the most wonderful bread.

O cheiro era tão bom que Tom parava e o inalava profundamente.

The smell was so good that Tom would stop and breathe it in deeply.

Um dia, Tom trouxe de casa um pedaço de pão seco e duro.

One day, Tom brought a piece of hard, dry bread from home.

Ele ficou do lado de fora da padaria e segurou o pão perto da janela.

He stood outside the baker's shop and held his bread near the window.

Enquanto cheirava o pão fresco lá dentro, comeu seu próprio pedaço seco.

As he smelled the fresh bread inside, he ate his own dry piece.

O bom cheiro tornou a sua pobre refeição mais saborosa.

The good smell made his poor meal taste better.

O padeiro viu isto acontecer muitas vezes.

The baker saw this happen many times.

Ele ficou zangado.

He became angry.

"Este homem está a roubar-me!"

"This man is stealing from me!"

Ele disse.

he said.

"Ele pega o cheiro do meu pão sem pagar!"

"He takes the smell of my bread without paying!"

O padeiro foi ao juiz.

The baker went to the judge.

"Este pobre homem rouba o cheiro do meu pão todos os dias", disse ele ao juiz.

"This poor man steals the smell of my bread every day," he told the judge.

"Ele deve pagar-me pelo que roubou".

"He must pay me for what he has taken."

O juiz achou que este era um caso estranho, mas chamou Tom ao tribunal.

The judge thought this was a strange case, but he called Tom to court.

"É verdade que cheiras o pão do padeiro?"

"Is it true that you smell the baker's bread?"

perguntou o juiz.

asked the judge.

"Sim, senhor", disse Tom.

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

"Não tenho dinheiro para comida boa.

"I have no money for good food.

O cheiro ajuda-me a comer o meu pão seco".

The smell helps me eat my dry bread."

O juiz virou-se para o padeiro.

The judge turned to the baker.

"Quanto queres pelo cheiro roubado?"

"How much money do you want for the stolen smell?"

"Três moedas de prata", disse o padeiro com um sorriso ganancioso.

"Three silver coins," said the baker with a greedy smile.

O juiz assentiu.

The judge nodded.

Ele perguntou a Tom: "Você tem três moedas de prata?"

He asked Tom, "Do you have three silver coins?"

Tom estendeu a mão ao bolso e tirou suas últimas três moedas.

Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out his last three coins.

Eram tudo o que ele tinha no mundo.

They were all he had in the world.

"Abaixa as moedas na mão", disse o juiz.

"Shake the coins in your hand," said the judge.

Tom agitou as moedas.

Tom shook the coins.

Elas faziam um som agradável.

They made a pleasant ringing sound.

Baker, ouviste aquele som?

"Baker, did you hear that sound?"

asked the judge.

"Yes, I heard it clearly," said the baker, eager to get his money.

"Good," said the judge.

"The payment is complete.

Tom has paid for the smell of your bread with the sound of his money.

The sound of money for the smell of bread - this is fair.

Tom, you may keep your coins."

The baker's face turned red.

He had been too greedy.

Tom walked away with his coins still in his pocket, and the people in the court smiled at the wise judge's decision.

Moral: If you try to sell what costs you nothing, you may be paid with the same.