There once lived an old man and his goodwife
On the edge of the thick of the woods;
They lived in an old run-down shack
For forty-years and some.
The old man hunted for his living,
And his wife sewed on her lap.

He once was hunting in the woods,
The marshes were high with game
When the waters rise, many animals die
And he thought (as always), 'Such a shame.'
Well, this day he saw a Golden Hare,

'No common hare,' thought he.
Stranded on a mud bare little isle
So he quickly grabbed the hare by the ears,
To save it, if you please.

Now the Golden Hare started to examine him,
And it spoke like a human being:
"Let me go, old man, back in the woods-
I will give you most anything!"

The old man was surprised and scared,
For he had never heard of a hare talking.
So gently by its ears, he put the hare down
And kindly said, as he did so:
"God be with you, my lovely little Golden Hare!
And thank you-but I want for noththing;
Go back to your home in the woods,
And roam free as you normally would."

But the hare stood stone-still, shaking,
Too weak was she-I'll have you know-:
Thus, into his sack, the old man put her
And brought her back to his home.

There he dried the hare, gave her food,
And said: "Now go-before night!"
And thus, the hare was gone for good.

To his wife, the old hunter was cautious
To tell her about the talking, Golden Hare,
And so he explained: "I caught this hare
Stranded, and thought to set her free-
Whereupon, she promised me, most anything;
But like a good Christian, I simply said
'God be with you? [and] I need nothing.'

Thereupon, his wife reprimanded her husband:
"You old fool?you big stupid man!
You might have asked for a sewing machine!
Now go find the hare and ask!"

The old man turned to the woods,
Where the morning was flickering with light.
And off he went, calling out to the Golden Hare.
And the Golden Hare appeared, behind a bush,
"What is it, old man, what is your wish?"
With his eyes cast down, the old man answered:
"I am sad to say, Most Beautify Hare~!
But my old woman scorned me utterly-
Bothers me every second of the day,
She says she wants a sewing machine."

The Golden Hare mumbled in reply:
"So be it, go home old man, be at peace,
For your wife will soon have it."

And behold, when the old man arrived home,
His wife was laughing, by a sewing machine.
But she screamed at her husband evermore:
"You silly old man, go back and ask for a farmhouse!"

And again he went back to the woods,
But this time the rain was pouring,
He called out to the Golden Hare,
And the Golden Hare appeared again, saying:
"Now what is it old man, what is your wish?"
"It never ends; forgive me, but my wife?
Now wants a farmhouse."
The Golden Hare mumbled in answer:
"As you desire, go home and you'll have it~!"

And when he arrived back home,
His shack was replaced by a farmhouse.
Oh yes, even with a huge towering silo.
And there sat his old wife by the window.

But the old woman was still hungry with greed
Told her husband, "Go back and ask for money!
Perhaps a ton of gold, she will give to you!"

And the old hunter did as she asked,
Hollered out for the Golden Hare to appear
And although the hare appeared, said nothing,
She listened angrily as the old man begged:
"Forgiven me of my wife's greed, but now she Wants a ton of gold, or just a lot of money."
The hare just whoosh its golden ears
And vanished back into the woods.

When the husband arrived back home-
Behold, his old wife was like before,
Sitting by their old broken down shack
Sewing an old shirt, on her lap, bored.

#769 7/11/05

IN SPANISH

Translated by Nancy Pe?aloza

Cuento del: cazador anciano
Y la liebre de oro

Por Dennis L. Siluk

All? una vez viv?a un viejo hombre y su buena esposa
En el borde de la espesura del bosque;
Ellos Vivian en una vieja choza
Por cuarenta a?os y algo.
El anciano cazaba para su vida
Y su esposa cos?a sobre su regazo.

El una vez estaba cazando en el bosque,
Los pantanos eran altos con juego
Cuando el agua creci?, muchos animales murieron
Y el pens? (como siempre) "que verg?enza".
Bien, ese d?a el vio una liebre de oro,
"rara liebre" pens? ?l.
Varado sobre el barro desnudo de la peque?a isla
As?, el r?pidamente agarro a la liebre por las orejas,
Para salvarla, si te parece.

Ahora la liebre de oro empez? a examinarlo,
Y le habl? como un ser humano:
"?d?jame ir, anciano, de regreso al bosque-
Yo te dar? algo, mas!

El anciano estaba sorprendido y asustado.
Porque el nunca hab?a o?do de una liebre que hablaba.
Tan gentilmente por sus orejas, el dejo la liebre
Y amablemente dijo, ?como hizo ?l eso?:
"?Dios este contigo, mi amada peque?a liebre de oro
Y gracias ? pero, yo no quiero nada;
Regresa a tu casa en el bosque,
Y vaga libre como normalmente tu puedas!".

Pero la liebre aun permaneci? parada como piedra, sacudi?ndose
Demasiado d?bil estaba ella- te har? saber:
M?s, dentro de su saco, el anciano la puso

y la llev? de regreso a su casa.

All? el sec? a la liebre, le dio comida,
Y le dijo: "?ahora vete- antes que anochezca!"
Y as?, la liebre se fue para siempre.

Para su esposa, el anciano cazador fue cauteloso
Para decirle acerca de la hablante, liebre de oro
Entonces el explic? "Cog? esta liebre varada y pens?
Ponerla en libertad- por lo cual ella me prometi? algo m?s;
Pero como buen cristiano simplemente dije.
"Dios este contigo?.y no necesito nada"

Con eso, la esposa reprendi? a su marido
"?t? viejo tonto?.tu hombre grande entupido"
"?Pudiste haber pedido una m?quina de coser!"
"Ahora vaya a buscar la liebre y pida"

El anciano regres? al bosque,
Donde la ma?ana Reci?n parpadeaba luz.

Y ?l fue llamando a la liebre de oro

Y la liebre de oro apareci? detr?s de un arbusto
?Que es eso anciano? ?Cu?l es tu deseo?
Con sus ojos destrozados el anciano contest?:
"?Estoy muy triste para decir muy bella liebre!
Pero mi vieja me despreci? completamente-
Me molesta cada segundo del d?a
Ella dice que quiere una maquina de coser!"

La liebre dorada mascull?
La respuesta "vete a casa en paz anciano
Por que Tu esposa pronto lo tendr?"

Y contemplo, cuando el anciano lleg? a casa,

Su esposa estaba ri?ndose, Por una maquina de coser.

Pero ella Le grito a su esposo cada vez mas
"?T? anciano tonto, vuelve y pide
una granja!"

Y otra vez el anciano volvi? a los bosques,
Pero esta vez la lluvia estaba fluyendo,
El llam? fuerte a la liebre de oro
Y la liebre de oro apareci? otra vez diciendo:

?Y ahora que anciano cual es tu deseo? .
"Esto nunca se termina perd?neme, pero mi esposa

Ahora quiere una granja".

La liebre de oro mascullaba la respuesta

"?Como tu . Deseo, ve a casa y lo tendr?s!"

Y cuando ?l regres? a su casa,
Su choza fue substituida por una granja.
Oh si, hasta con un enorme silo alt?simo.
Y all? se sent? a su vieja esposa por la ventana.

?Pero la anciana todav?a ten?a el hambre con la avaricia
Dijo a su marido, " Vuelve y pide el dinero!
?Quiz?s una tonelada de oro, ella te lo dar?! "

Y el viejo cazador hizo como ella pregunt? pidi?,

Gritando alto para que la Liebre De oro apareciera
Y aunque la liebre apareci?, no dijo nada,
Ella escuch? con ira como el anciano rog?:
"Perd?neme la avaricia de mi esposa, pero ahora ella
Quiera una tonelada de oro, o justo una cantidad de dinero"
"La liebre justo whoosh orejas de oro
Y desapareci? dentro del bosque.

Cuando el marido regres? a casa ?
Contemplan, su vieja esposa estaba como antes,
Sentada por su vieja choza.

Cosiendo una vieja camisa, sobre su regazo, aburrido.

*769 7/11/05

Poet/Author Dennis Siluk http://dennissiluk.tripod.com