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A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Niños de cera Children of wax Les enfants de cire

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Karina Vásquez

Read by Áurea Vericat

Language Spanish

Level Level 2

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A man, a woman and three boys standing.

Había una vez una familia que vivía muy feliz.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.

Il était une fois une famille bien heureuse.


Three boys doing chores and working in a field.

Nunca peleaban. Los hijos ayudaban a sus padres en el hogar y en los huertos.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.

Ils ne se disputaient jamais. Ils aidaient leurs parents à la maison et dans les champs.


A man standing in front of a campfire holding his hand up and three boys standing next to him.

Pero tenían prohibido acercarse al fuego.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.

Mais ils n’avaient pas le droit de s’approcher d’un feu.


Half a house in daytime with the sun above it and the other half at nighttime with the moon and stars.

Tenían que hacer todo su trabajo por las noches. ¡Porque eran niños de cera!

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!

Ils devaient faire tout leur travail pendant la nuit. Puisqu’ils étaient faits de cire !


A boy thinking about daytime.

Pero uno de los chicos sentía un fuerte deseo por salir a la luz del sol.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.

Mais un des garçons désirait se promener au soleil.


A boy walking through a bright doorway and two boys covering their eyes.

Un día su deseo fue muy fuerte. Sus hermanos le advirtieron que no lo hiciera…

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…

Un jour son désir était trop puissant. Ses frères l’avertirent…


A boy melting.

¡Pero ya era tarde! Se derritió con el calor del sol.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.

Mais c’était trop tard ! Il fondit au soleil brûlant.


Two sad-looking boys with their arms around each other.

Los niños de cera se entristecieron de ver a su hermano derritiéndose.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.

Les enfants de cire étaient si tristes de voir leur frère fondre.


Two boys shaping a lump of melted wax into a bird.

Pero hicieron un plan. Tomaron los restos de cera derretida y le dieron la forma de un ave.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.

Mais ils firent un plan. Ils façonnèrent le morceau de cire fondue en oiseau.


A wax bird on a high mountain at sunrise.

Llevaron a su hermano ave a lo alto de una montaña.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.

Ils apportèrent leur frère l’oiseau jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne haute.


A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Y cuando salió el sol, el ave se fue volando y cantando con la luz del amanecer.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.

Et lorsque le soleil se leva, il s’envola vers la lumière du matin en chantant.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Karina Vásquez
Read by: Áurea Vericat
Language: Spanish
Level: Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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