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Uma história para começar

O Gato que Queria Ver o Mar

The Cat Who Wanted to See the Sea

A short story for young learners — read it in Portuguese, then in English. Perfect for 3rd graders and anyone just beginning their journey.

Página 1

Português

Era uma vez um gato chamado Tomás que vivia numa aldeia pequenina no interior de Portugal. A sua casa ficava no alto de uma colina, rodeada de oliveiras e campos de girassóis amarelos. Tomás era um gato curioso, de pelo cor de laranja e olhos verdes como folhas de hortelã. Todos os dias, quando o sol nascia, ele subia ao telhado da casa e olhava para o horizonte. — Avó, perguntou ele um dia, o que fica para além daquelas montanhas? A avó, uma gata velha e sábia chamada Filomena, sorriu com ternura. — Para além das montanhas, meu querido, fica o mar. — O mar? disse Tomás, com os olhos bem abertos. E o que é o mar? — O mar é maior do que tudo o que já viste. É azul como o céu, mas cheio de vida. Cheira a sal e a liberdade. Nessa noite, Tomás não conseguiu dormir. Só pensava no mar.

English

Once upon a time there was a cat named Tomás who lived in a tiny village in the interior of Portugal. His house sat on top of a hill, surrounded by olive trees and fields of yellow sunflowers. Tomás was a curious cat, with orange fur and green eyes the color of mint leaves. Every day, when the sun rose, he climbed to the roof of the house and gazed toward the horizon. "Grandma," he asked one day, "what lies beyond those mountains?" His grandmother, a wise old cat named Filomena, smiled warmly. "Beyond the mountains, my dear, lies the sea." "The sea?" said Tomás, his eyes wide open. "And what is the sea?" "The sea is bigger than anything you have ever seen. It is blue like the sky, but full of life. It smells of salt and freedom." That night, Tomás could not sleep. He could only think about the sea.

Página 2

Português

Na manhã seguinte, Tomás acordou cedo, antes do galo cantar. Fez uma mochila pequena com um pedaço de queijo, uma fatia de broa de milho e a sua manta favorita — às riscas azuis e brancas. — Vou ver o mar, anunciou ele à avó. Filomena olhou para ele com carinho e pôs-lhe uma flor de lavanda atrás da orelha. — Muito bem, Tomás. Mas lembra-te: o caminho é tão importante como o destino. Tomás desceu a colina a saltitar. No caminho, encontrou uma rã chamada Beatriz, sentada numa pedra ao lado de um ribeiro. — Para onde vais, gatinho? perguntou a rã. — Vou ver o mar! respondeu Tomás com orgulho. — O mar? disse Beatriz, dando um salto de alegria. Nunca vi o mar! Posso ir contigo? — Claro que sim! disse Tomás. Quanto mais, melhor! E assim os dois partiram juntos, a rã aos saltos e o gato a trote, pela estrada de terra batida que serpenteava entre as vinhas.

English

The next morning, Tomás woke up early, before the rooster crowed. He packed a small backpack with a piece of cheese, a slice of corn bread, and his favorite blanket — striped blue and white. "I am going to see the sea," he announced to his grandmother. Filomena looked at him with affection and tucked a lavender flower behind his ear. "Very well, Tomás. But remember: the journey is just as important as the destination." Tomás bounced down the hill. Along the way, he met a frog named Beatriz, sitting on a stone beside a stream. "Where are you going, little cat?" asked the frog. "I am going to see the sea!" answered Tomás proudly. "The sea?" said Beatriz, leaping with joy. "I have never seen the sea! Can I come with you?" "Of course!" said Tomás. "The more the merrier!" And so the two set off together — the frog hopping and the cat trotting — along the dirt road that wound between the vineyards.

Página 3

Português

A meio do caminho, os dois amigos encontraram um burro chamado Afonso, preso a uma cerca, a comer erva com ar entediado. — Bom dia, Afonso! disse Tomás. Vens connosco ver o mar? O burro levantou as orelhas compridas. — O mar? disse ele devagar. Ouvi dizer que o mar faz barulho como trovão e que as ondas são altas como casas. — Tens medo? perguntou Beatriz. — Não tenho medo, disse Afonso, endireitando-se. Tenho curiosidade! E assim os três continuaram o caminho. Afonso carregava a mochila de Tomás nas costas largas, Beatriz ia a cantar uma canção de rãs, e Tomás ia à frente, com a flor de lavanda atrás da orelha, a farejar o ar. De repente, Tomás parou. — Estão a sentir isso? sussurrou ele. O ar tinha mudado. Estava mais fresco, mais húmido. E havia um cheiro novo — um cheiro a sal, a algas, a qualquer coisa enorme e viva. — É o mar, disse Tomás em voz baixa. Está perto.

English

Halfway along the road, the two friends met a donkey named Afonso, tied to a fence, eating grass with a bored expression. "Good morning, Afonso!" said Tomás. "Will you come with us to see the sea?" The donkey raised his long ears. "The sea?" he said slowly. "I have heard that the sea roars like thunder and that the waves are as tall as houses." "Are you afraid?" asked Beatriz. "I am not afraid," said Afonso, standing up straight. "I am curious!" And so the three continued on their way. Afonso carried Tomás's backpack on his broad back, Beatriz went along singing a frog song, and Tomás walked ahead with the lavender flower behind his ear, sniffing the air. Suddenly, Tomás stopped. "Do you feel that?" he whispered. The air had changed. It was cooler, damper. And there was a new smell — a smell of salt, of seaweed, of something enormous and alive. "It's the sea," said Tomás quietly. "It's close."

Página 4

Português

Os três subiram uma última colina coberta de pinheiros. E então, quando chegaram ao cimo — O mar. Tomás ficou completamente imóvel. Nunca tinha imaginado que o mundo pudesse ser tão grande. A água estendia-se até onde a vista alcançava, brilhando ao sol como milhares de moedas de prata. As ondas chegavam à praia com um som suave — shhhhh — como se o mar estivesse a contar um segredo. — É lindo, disse Beatriz, com a voz cheia de espanto. — É enorme, disse Afonso, com as orelhas para a frente. Tomás não disse nada. Sentou-se na areia, tirou a flor de lavanda de trás da orelha, e ficou a olhar. Depois de um longo silêncio, disse: — Agora percebo o que a avó quis dizer. Cheira a liberdade. Nessa tarde, os três amigos brincaram na areia, ouviram as gaivotas gritar lá em cima, e comeram o queijo e a broa de milho enquanto o sol se punha sobre o Atlântico, pintando o céu de cor de laranja e rosa. E Tomás pensou na avó Filomena, lá na aldeia, no alto da colina — e sorriu. Tinha muito para lhe contar. Fim.

English

The three climbed one last hill covered in pine trees. And then, when they reached the top — The sea. Tomás stood completely still. He had never imagined the world could be so large. The water stretched as far as the eye could see, shimmering in the sun like thousands of silver coins. The waves reached the shore with a soft sound — shhhhh — as if the sea were whispering a secret. "It's beautiful," said Beatriz, her voice full of wonder. "It's enormous," said Afonso, his ears pointing forward. Tomás said nothing. He sat down on the sand, took the lavender flower from behind his ear, and simply looked. After a long silence, he said: "Now I understand what Grandma meant. It smells like freedom." That afternoon, the three friends played in the sand, listened to the seagulls calling overhead, and ate the cheese and corn bread as the sun set over the Atlantic, painting the sky orange and pink. And Tomás thought of Grandma Filomena, back in the village, on top of the hill — and smiled. He had so much to tell her. The End.

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