The Case of the Stolen Smell
El caso del olor robado
This is a traditional fable about fairness and greed. It teaches us that trying to charge for things that cost nothing may lead to receiving nothing in return.
Long ago in a busy town, there lived a poor man named Tom.
Hace mucho tiempo, en una ciudad concurrida, vivía un hombre pobre llamado Tom.
He had no money for food, but every day he walked past a baker's shop.
No tenía dinero para comer, pero pasaba todos los días por un panadero.
The baker made the most wonderful bread.
El panadero hizo el pan más maravilloso.
The smell was so good that Tom would stop and breathe it in deeply.
El olor era tan bueno que Tom se detenía y lo inhalaba profundamente.
One day, Tom brought a piece of hard, dry bread from home.
Un día, Tom trajo un pedazo de pan duro y seco de casa.
He stood outside the baker's shop and held his bread near the window.
Se paró fuera de la panadería y sostuvo su pan cerca de la ventana.
As he smelled the fresh bread inside, he ate his own dry piece.
Mientras olía el pan fresco dentro, comió su propio pedazo seco.
The good smell made his poor meal taste better.
El buen olor hizo que su pobre comida tuviera mejor sabor.
The baker saw this happen many times.
El panadero vio esto suceder muchas veces.
He became angry.
Se enfadó.
"This man is stealing from me!"
"¡Este hombre me está robando!"
he said.
lo dijo.
"He takes the smell of my bread without paying!"
¡Se lleva el olor de mi pan sin pagar!
The baker went to the judge.
El panadero fue al juez.
"This poor man steals the smell of my bread every day," he told the judge.
"Este pobre hombre roba el olor de mi pan todos los días", le dijo al juez.
"He must pay me for what he has taken."
"Debe pagarme por lo que ha tomado".
The judge thought this was a strange case, but he called Tom to court.
El juez pensó que era un caso extraño, pero llamó a Tom a la corte.
"Is it true that you smell the baker's bread?"
"¿Es verdad que hueles el pan del panadero?"
asked the judge.
preguntó el juez.
"Yes, sir," said Tom.
"Sí, señor", dijo Tom.
"I have no money for good food.
"No tengo dinero para buena comida.
The smell helps me eat my dry bread."
El olor me ayuda a comer mi pan seco".
The judge turned to the baker.
El juez se volvió hacia el panadero.
"How much money do you want for the stolen smell?"
"¿Cuánto dinero quieres por el olor robado?"
"Three silver coins," said the baker with a greedy smile.
"Tres monedas de plata", dijo el panadero con una sonrisa codiciosa.
The judge nodded.
El juez asintió.
He asked Tom, "Do you have three silver coins?"
Le preguntó a Tom: "¿Tienes tres monedas de plata?"
Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out his last three coins.
Tom metió la mano en su bolsillo y sacó sus últimas tres monedas.
They were all he had in the world.
Eran todo lo que tenía en el mundo.
"Shake the coins in your hand," said the judge.
"Date las monedas en la mano", dijo el juez.
Tom shook the coins.
Tom sacudió las monedas.
They made a pleasant ringing sound.
Hacían un sonido agradable.
"Baker, did you hear that sound?"
Baker, ¿oíste ese sonido?
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.