Para comezar a escola, adaptación libre de Lincoln co texto orixinal ao fondo.

Adaptación libre da carta que se lle atribúe a Abraham Lincoln, enviada ao mestre do seu fillo.

A miña filla comeza hoxe a escola. Todo lle ha resultar estraño e novo e é por iso que desexaría que a trate con agarimo. Comeza unha aventura que a vai levar a través de continentes. Tódalas aventuras inclúen guerras, traxedia e tristura. Pero tamén para vivir a súa vida ha necesitar fe, amor e valentía.

Por iso, querido Mestre, prégolle que a colla da man e lle ensine as cousas que ten que aprender, apréndallo con agarimo, na medida que lle sexa posible. Apréndalle que por cada enemigo, hai un amigo. Ela terá que saber que non todas as persoas son xustas, que non todas son rectas. Pero apréndalle tamén que por cada pillabán existe un heroe, e que por cada político deshonesto, hai un líder entregado.

Apréndalle se pode que 10 céntimos gañados son moitísimo máis valiosos que un dólar atopado. Que na escola, mestre, é moito máis honroso fallar que facer trampas. Apréndalle a perder con elegancia, e a disfrutar coa victoria cando gañe.

Apréndalle a ser amable coa boa xente, e firme coa xente dura. Guíea lonxe da envexa e apréndalle o segredo do riso tranquilo. Apréndalle, se pode, a rir cando estea triste, apréndalle a non se avergoñar das propias bágoas. Apréndalle que tamén existe a gloria no fracaso e a desesperación no éxito. Apréndalle a se burlar dos hipócritas.

Apréndalle se vostede pode cantas marabillas hai nos libros, pero tamén déalle tempo a valorar o misterio máxico dos paxaros no ceo, as abellas baixo o sol e as flores nos verdes outeiros. Apréndalle a ter fe nas súas propias ideas, mesmo cando todos os demáis lle digan que está trabucada.

Téntelle amosar á miña filla a acadara forza necesaria para non seguir ás masas cando todos o fagan. Apréndallele a escoitar a todo o mundo, pero apréndalle tamén a filtrar a verdade no que oe e a quedarse só co bo que lle chega.

Apréndalle a vender os seus talentos ao mellor postor, pero nunca a poñer prezo ao seu corazón e á súa alma. Anímea a ter a coraxe de ser impaciente, anímea a ter a paciencia de ser afouta. Apréndalle a ter fe sublime en sí mesma, para que teña sempre fe suprema na humanidade, en Deus.

Pídolle todo isto, Mestre, e mire qué é o que pode facer. Ela é só unha neniña pequena e boa, e é a miña filla.

 A escola de Doloriñas. Julia Minguillón, 1943.

Letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher

My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him - but gently, if you can. Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can - how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tell him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to everyone, but teach him also to filters all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

 Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patient to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself,

because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.