The Spanish reading room
One sentence of «Las medias de los flamencos»
Entonces las víboras de coral se lanzaron sobre ellos, y enroscándose en sus patas les deshicieron a mordiscones las medias.
Then the coral snakes flung themselves upon them, and coiling round their legs tore the stockings to pieces with their bites.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
Hearing this, the flamingos, full of fear because they were found out, tried to fly; but they were so tired that they could not lift a single wing.
They ripped the stockings off in shreds, in a fury, and bit their legs too, so that they should die.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Entonces | entonces | then, at that time (adv.) |
| las | el | the (def. art., f. pl.); also them (f. object pron., before a verb) |
| víboras | víbora | snake, viper (n., f.) |
| de | de | of, from (prep.) |
| coral | coral | coral; víbora de coral — coral snake (n., m.) |
| se | se | himself, herself, themselves (reflexive); stands in for le before lo/la (se la dieron — they gave it to her); one, people (se ve — one sees) (pron.) |
| lanzaron | lanzar | to hurl, let out; lanzarse — to fling oneself (v.) |
| sobre | sobre | on, upon; about (prep.) |
| ellos | él | they, them (pron., m. pl.) |
| y | y | and (conj.) |
| enroscándose | enroscar | to coil, wind around (v.) |
| en | en | in, on, at (prep.) |
| sus | su | his, her, their, your (poss. adj.) |
| patas | pata | paw, leg of an animal (n., f.) |
| les | le | to them, them (pron.) |
| deshicieron | deshacer | to undo, take apart, destroy (v.) |
| a | a | to; at; on (prep.) |
| mordiscones | mordiscón | a bite, a nip (n., m.) |
| medias | media | stocking (n., f.) |
Read «Las medias de los flamencos» in the room Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. The whole tale is free and asks for no account.