허풍쟁이 제비와 수탉

허풍쟁이 제비와 수탉

 

자기 자랑을 하는 것을 무척 좋아하는 제비가 있었습니다. 어느 날 제비는 우연히 수탉과 마주치게 되었습니다.

 

제비는 수탉의 코를 납작하게 만들 만한 자랑거리를 늘어놓고 싶었습니다. 그래서 제비는 커다란 비밀이라도 털어놓겠다는 듯이, 잔뜩 목소리를 낮추면서 속삭였습니다.

 

“사실 나는 아테네의 공주였단다.”

 

그 말을 들은 수탉은 아무런 대답도 없이 가만히 제비를 바라보기만 했습니다. 수찱이 자신의 말에 깜짝 놀란 것이라고 생각한 제비는 더욱 신이 나서 허풍을 떨기 시작했습니다.

 

“나는 아테네의 여러 공주들 중에서도 가장 아름답기로 소문이 난 공주였단다. 나의 아름다움은 세상에 널리 알려져서 사람들뿐만 아니라 신들까지도 탐을 낼 지경이었지. 그런데 아테네를 구한 영웅 테레우스가 나의 언니 프로크네를 납치 해가면서 나의 불행은 시작되었어. 언니 프로크네를 만나기 위해 찾아갔다가 그만 테레우스가 나의 아름다움에 반하고 말았던 거야. 테레우스는 나를 가두어놓고 자신이 한 짓을 다른 사람들에게 말하지 못하도록 내 혀를 잘랐단다. 하지만 언니 프로크네와 나는 힘을 합쳐서 테레우스에게 복수를 했지. 그 후에 프로크네는 나이팅게일이 되고 나는 제비가 된거란다.”

 

제비는 의기양양한 표정으로 수탉을 바라보았습니다. 그리고 수탉의 입에서 무엇인가 감탄하는 말이 나오기를 기다렸습니다.

 

잠시 후에 수탉이 고개를 흔들면서 말했습니다.

 

“혀가 없어도 저렇게 허풍을 잘 떠는데, 혀까지 있었다면 과연 어는 정도였을까?”

 

허풍쟁이는 상대방이 자기 말을 믿고 있다고 생각합니다. 그래서 더욱 열심히 이야기를 꾸며대면서 허풍을 떨게 됩니다. 그러다가 결국 모두에게 웃음거리가 되고 마는 것입니다.

 

제비가 아테네의 공주였다는 말은 사실일까요?

 

제비는 수탉이 아무런 대답도 하지않자, 자기 말을 믿었다고 생각했습니다. 그런데 수탉은 과연 제비의 말을 믿었을까요?

 

The Boastful Swallow and the Rooster

There was a swallow who loved to boast about itself. One day, the swallow happened to meet a rooster.

The swallow wanted to boast about something that would make the rooster feel small. So, the swallow lowered its voice as if revealing a big secret and whispered,

“I was a princess of Athens.”

Hearing this, the rooster just stared at the swallow without saying anything. The swallow thought the rooster was amazed by its words and started boasting even more excitedly.

“I was known as the most beautiful princess among all the princesses of Athens. My beauty was so widely known that people and even the gods coveted it. But my misfortune began when the hero Tereus, who saved Athens, kidnapped my sister Procne. Tereus fell in love with my beauty when I went to find my sister. He imprisoned me and cut off my tongue so that I couldn’t tell others what he had done. But my sister Procne and I joined forces to take revenge on Tereus. After that, Procne became a nightingale, and I became a swallow.”

The swallow looked at the rooster triumphantly, waiting for the rooster to say something in admiration.

After a while, the rooster shook its head and said,

“If you can boast like that without a tongue, I wonder how much more you would have boasted if you still had it.”

Boasters think that others believe their words. So they make up more stories and boast even more. Eventually, they become a laughingstock to everyone.

Was it true that the swallow was a princess of Athens?

The swallow thought the rooster believed its words because the rooster didn’t respond. But did the rooster believe the swallow’s story?

 

The Boastful Skye and the Rooster

There was a pup named Skye who loved to boast about herself. One day, Skye happened to meet a rooster.

Skye wanted to boast about something that would make the rooster feel small. So, she lowered her voice as if revealing a big secret and whispered,

“I was a princess of Adventure Bay.”

Hearing this, the rooster just stared at Skye without saying anything. Skye thought the rooster was amazed by her words and started boasting even more excitedly.

“I was known as the most beautiful princess among all the princesses of Adventure Bay. My beauty was so widely known that people and even the pups coveted it. But my misfortune began when the hero Ryder, who saved Adventure Bay, kidnapped my sister Everest. Ryder fell in love with my beauty when I went to find my sister. He imprisoned me and cut off my bark so I couldn’t tell others what he had done. But my sister Everest and I joined forces to take revenge on Ryder. After that, Everest became a nightingale, and I became a pup.”

Skye looked at the rooster triumphantly, waiting for the rooster to say something in admiration.

After a while, the rooster shook its head and said,

“If you can boast like that without a bark, I wonder how much more you would have boasted if you still had it.”

Boasters think that others believe their words. So they make up more stories and boast even more. Eventually, they become a laughingstock to everyone.

Was it true that Skye was a princess of Adventure Bay?

Skye thought the rooster believed her words because the rooster didn’t respond. But did the rooster believe Skye’s story?