The Lioness and the She-Bear
A free B2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A grieving lioness wails loudly after losing her cub — until a she-bear reminds her that many other mothers bear their losses in silence.
Mamma lioness had lost one of her cubs. Some hunter had made away with it, and the poor unfortunate mother roared out her wailings to such an extent that all the inhabitants of the forest were seriously disturbed. The spells of the night, its darkness and its silence, were powerless to hush the tumult of the queen of the forest. Sleep was driven from every animal within hearing.
Mama singa betina telah kehilangan salah satu anaknya. Seorang pemburu telah melenyapkannya, dan sang induk yang malang itu meraung-raungkan ratapannya begitu keras hingga seluruh penghuni hutan merasa sangat terganggu. Mantra malam, kegelapannya dan keheningannya, tak mampu meredakan kegaduhan sang ratu hutan. Tidur pun terusir dari setiap hewan yang mendengarnya.
At last the she-bear rose up and coming to the wailing lioness said, "Good Gossip, just one word with you. All those little ones that have passed between your teeth, had they neither fathers nor mothers?"
Akhirnya sang beruang betina bangkit dan menghampiri singa betina yang meratap itu sambil berkata, "Sahabatku yang baik, izinkan aku bicara sepatah kata denganmu. Semua anak-anak kecil yang pernah melewati gigi-gigimu itu, apakah mereka tidak punya ayah atau ibu?"
"To be sure they had."
"Tentu saja mereka punya."
"Then if that be so, and as none have come to mourn their dead in cries which would split our heads: if so many mothers have borne their loss silently, why cannot you be silent also?"
"Kalau begitu, dan karena tak ada satu pun dari mereka yang datang meratapi kematian anak mereka dengan jeritan yang bisa memecahkan kepala kita: jika begitu banyak ibu telah menanggung kehilangan mereka dalam diam, mengapa kau tidak bisa diam juga?"
"I? I be silent? Unhappy I? Ah! I have lost my son! There is nought for me but to drag out a miserable old age."
"Aku? Aku diam? Aku yang malang ini? Ah! Aku telah kehilangan putraku! Tak ada lagi bagiku selain menyeret hari tua yang menyedihkan."
"But pray tell me what obliges you to do so."
"Tetapi tolong katakan padaku, apa yang memaksamu berbuat begitu."
"Alas! Destiny. It is Destiny that hates me."
"Sayangnya! Takdir. Takdirlah yang membenciku."
Those are the words that are for ever in the mouths of us all.
Itulah kata-kata yang selalu ada di mulut kita semua.
Unhappy human kind, let this address itself to you. I hear nothing but the echoing murmur of trifling complaints. Whoever, in like case, believes himself the hated of the gods, let him consider Hecuba, and he will render thanks for their clemency.
Umat manusia yang malang, biarlah ini ditujukan kepada kalian. Aku tidak mendengar apa pun selain gema keluhan-keluhan sepele. Siapa pun, dalam keadaan serupa, yang percaya dirinya dibenci para dewa, biarlah ia memikirkan Hecuba, dan ia akan bersyukur atas belas kasihan mereka.
