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La ropa y las semillas
The Clothes and the Seeds
Marta finds tiny seeds all over her washing and must decide how to keep it clean.
Three short parts. Read each part in Spanish first; tap “Show English” under a paragraph when you need the translation.
Part 1
El sábado por la mañana, Marta lavó la ropa y la tendió en el patio. Hacía sol y soplaba un viento suave. Cerca de la casa había un árbol grande lleno de semillas diminutas.
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On Saturday morning, Marta washed the clothes and hung them in the yard. It was sunny, and a gentle wind was blowing. Near the house, there was a big tree full of tiny seeds.
Marta entró en la cocina para preparar el desayuno. Un rato después, volvió al patio y se quedó sorprendida. Toda la ropa estaba cubierta de semillas: la camisa blanca, las toallas y hasta los calcetines.
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Marta went into the kitchen to make breakfast. A little while later, she returned to the yard and was surprised. All the clothes were covered in seeds: the white shirt, the towels, and even the socks.
—¡Qué desastre! —dijo Marta.
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“What a mess!” said Marta.
Sacudió una toalla, pero las semillas cayeron al suelo y algunas volvieron a volar hacia la ropa. Entonces miró el árbol. El viento movía sus ramas y de ellas caían muchas semillas.
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She shook a towel, but the seeds fell to the ground, and some blew back onto the clothes. Then she looked at the tree. The wind was moving its branches, and lots of seeds were falling from them.
Marta pensó en quitar toda la ropa y lavarla de nuevo. Después vio que el cielo empezaba a ponerse gris. Tenía que decidir rápido: podía recoger la ropa o esperar a que dejara de soplar el viento. Tomó una cesta y se acercó al tendedero.
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Marta thought about taking all the clothes down and washing them again. Then she saw that the sky was starting to turn gray. She had to decide quickly: she could bring in the clothes or wait for the wind to stop blowing. She picked up a basket and went over to the clothesline.
Part 2
Marta decidió recoger la ropa. Quitó primero la camisa blanca y las toallas, y las metió en la cesta. Cada prenda tenía muchas semillas. Antes de guardar los calcetines, los sacudió con cuidado, lejos del tendedero.
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Marta decided to bring in the clothes. First, she took down the white shirt and the towels and put them in the basket. Each item of clothing had lots of seeds on it. Before putting away the socks, she shook them carefully, away from the clothesline.
El viento soplaba un poco más fuerte. Marta tuvo que sujetar una sábana con una mano mientras quitaba las pinzas con la otra. Al final, la sábana cayó dentro de la cesta, pero también cayeron muchas semillas.
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The wind was blowing a little harder. Marta had to hold a sheet with one hand while taking off the clothespins with the other. At last, the sheet fell into the basket, but lots of seeds fell in too.
—Bueno, tendré que lavar todo otra vez —dijo.
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“Well, I’ll have to wash everything again,” she said.
Miró el cielo. Todavía no llovía, así que llevó la cesta junto a la puerta de la casa. Entonces vio algo extraño: una de las semillas se había quedado pegada a su pelo. Marta se la quitó y sonrió, pero en ese momento escuchó un ruido en el patio. El tendedero se movía con el viento y una prenda seguía allí: su vestido azul.
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She looked at the sky. It was not raining yet, so she carried the basket to the door of the house. Then she saw something strange: one of the seeds had stuck to her hair. Marta took it off and smiled, but just then she heard a noise in the yard. The clothesline was moving in the wind, and one item of clothing was still there: her blue dress.
Part 3La ropa limpia de Marta(Marta’s Clean Clothes)
Marta volvió al tendedero y sujetó el vestido azul con las dos manos. El viento lo movía mucho y algunas semillas caían al suelo. Con cuidado, quitó las pinzas y metió el vestido en la cesta.
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Marta went back to the clothesline and held the blue dress with both hands. The wind was moving it a lot, and some seeds were falling to the ground. Carefully, she took off the clothespins and put the dress in the basket.
Después llevó toda la ropa al baño. Sacudió cada prenda sobre la bañera para quitar las semillas. Luego volvió a meter la ropa en la lavadora. Mientras la máquina funcionaba, Marta cerró la puerta del patio para que no entraran más semillas.
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Then she carried all the clothes to the bathroom. She shook each item over the bathtub to remove the seeds. Then she put the clothes in the washing machine again. While the machine was running, Marta closed the yard door so that no more seeds could get in.
Un rato después, el cielo se aclaró y el viento se calmó. Marta tendió la ropa de nuevo, esta vez en un lugar más cercano a la casa y lejos del árbol. Miró su vestido azul: estaba limpio y no tenía ni una semilla.
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A little while later, the sky cleared and the wind calmed down. Marta hung the clothes up again, this time in a place closer to the house and farther from the tree. She looked at her blue dress: it was clean and did not have a single seed on it.
Marta sonrió. El patio estaba un poco sucio, pero la ropa estaba limpia. Por la tarde, toda la ropa se secó al sol y Marta pudo guardarla.
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Marta smiled. The yard was a little dirty, but the clothes were clean. In the afternoon, all the clothes dried in the sun, and Marta was able to put them away.
Practise this Spanish story
Vocabulary in context
Important words and phrases
la ropa
noun phraseclothes
La ropa está limpia.
The clothes are clean.
el patio
noun phraseyard
El perro está en el patio.
The dog is in the yard.
las semillas
noun phraseseeds
Las semillas cayeron al suelo.
The seeds fell to the ground.
viento suave
noun phrasegentle wind
Hoy hay un viento suave.
Today there is a gentle wind.
el tendedero
noun phraseclothesline
Colgué la camisa en el tendedero.
I hung the shirt on the clothesline.
una cesta
noun phrasea basket
Llevó la ropa en una cesta.
She carried the clothes in a basket.
sacudir
verbto shake
Sacude la toalla antes de guardarla.
Shake the towel before putting it away.
las pinzas
noun phraseclothespins
Las pinzas sujetan la ropa.
The clothespins hold the clothes.
la lavadora
noun phrasewashing machine
Puse la ropa en la lavadora.
I put the clothes in the washing machine.
cada prenda
noun phraseeach item of clothing
Cada prenda necesita cuidado.
Each item of clothing needs care.
Check your understanding
Comprehension questions
Choose an answer, check it, then move to the next question.
Question 1 of 3
- Question 1: current not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
Notice the language
Language notes
tener que + infinitivo
This pattern means "to have to" or "must". Use it before an infinitive to show obligation or necessity. It is very common in everyday Spanish. Example: "Tenía que decidir rápido." You can also say: "Tengo que irme ahora."
Tenía que decidir rápido.
She had to decide quickly.
Tengo que irme ahora.
I have to leave now.
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