Українська / A2
Свиня — свинею
Чоловік ніс додому їжу, яку освятили в церкві. У новій дерев’яній посудині були яйця, великодній хліб, ковбаси й велике печене порося.
Чоловік спіткнувся просто в багнюці. Посудина нахилилася. Їжа затремтіла, а печене порося покотилося в багнюку.
Чоловік подивився на нього, свиснув, відвернувся і сплюнув убік.
Потім тихо сказав: «Правду кажуть люди: свиня завжди буде свинею. Хоч освяти її, хоч охрести — вона все одно свиня!»
English summary · includes the ending
A man is carrying blessed food home in a new wooden trough. He has eggs, Easter bread, sausages and a roasted pig. The pig is quite large and has horseradish in its mouth.
As he walks through mud, the man trips. The trough tilts, the food shakes and the roasted pig rolls out into the mud. The accident gives an ordinary journey home an unfortunate ending.
The man looks down at the mud, whistles, turns away and spits to one side. Then he quietly repeats a saying: a pig will always be a pig. People can bless it or baptise it, but its nature will remain the same.
The humour comes from his explanation of the accident. Although the animal has already been cooked and is being carried as food, he talks as though it has chosen to return to the mud. The poem ends with his saying rather than another action.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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