The Case of the Stolen Smell

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

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

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

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

The baker made the most wonderful bread.

O padeiro fez o pão mais maravilhoso.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The good smell made his poor meal taste better.

O bom cheiro tornou a sua pobre refeição mais saborosa.

The baker saw this happen many times.

O padeiro viu isto acontecer muitas vezes.

He became angry.

Ele ficou zangado.

"This man is stealing from me!"

"Este homem está a roubar-me!"

he said.

Ele disse.

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

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

The baker went to the judge.

O padeiro foi ao juiz.

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

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

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

"Ele deve pagar-me pelo que roubou".

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

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

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

"É verdade que cheiras o pão do padeiro?"

asked the judge.

perguntou o juiz.

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

"Sim, senhor", disse Tom.

"I have no money for good food.

"Não tenho dinheiro para comida boa.

The smell helps me eat my dry bread."

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

The judge turned to the baker.

O juiz virou-se para o padeiro.

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

"Quanto queres pelo cheiro roubado?"

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

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

The judge nodded.

O juiz assentiu.

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

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

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

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

They were all he had in the world.

Eram tudo o que ele tinha no mundo.

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

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

Tom shook the coins.

Tom agitou as moedas.

They made a pleasant ringing sound.

Elas faziam um som agradável.

"Baker, did you hear that sound?"

Baker, ouviste aquele som?

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.