37. His mother sent him a cake too. 38. As soon as he received it, he gathered around him his class-fellows, 39. and said to them, "Come and eat (a) the cake (1) mamma has sent me." 40. He took a knife, gave a piece of it to each of them, 41. and, after having cut a slice of it for himself, 42. he put by what remained; 43. then (1) went to play with his school-fellows, 44. who did all they could (1) to be agreeable to him. 45. Shortly after, an old fiddler with a white beard entered the yard, 46. and asked them whether they wished (1) him to play them a tune. 47. They accepted and drew up around him. 48. But Billy thought he remarked, by the sickly features of the old man, that he was suffering. 49. He said to him: "What ails (b) you, my poor man-you appear to suffer?" 50. "I am very hungry (2), my dear child; 51. I have eaten nothing since this morning. 52. I have not earned enough (assez) to buy a piece of bread." 53. Billy, without saying any thing, ran for what remained of his cake and gave it to him. (a) Voir note (a), p. 88. (b) Ails ne peut se traduire en français. To ail (causer du mal). What ails you? (Qu'est-ce qui vous cause du mal?). 37. Sa mère lui envoya aussi un gâteau. 38. Dès qu'il l'eut reçu, il assembla autour de lui ses camarades de classe, 39. et leur dit: "Venez manger (a) le gâteau que maman m'a envoyé." 40. It prit un couteau, leur en donna à chacun un morceau, 41. et, après en avoir coupé une tranche pour lui-même, 42. il mit de côté ce qui restait; 43. puis il alla jouer avec ses camarades, 44. qui firent tout ce qu'ils purent pour lui être agréables. 45. Peu après, un vieux joueur de violon à barbe blanche entra dans la cour, 46. et leur demanda s'ils voulaient qu'il leur jouât un air. 47. Ils acceptèrent et se rangèrent autour de lui. 48. Mais Guillot crut remarquer sur les traits maladifs du vieillard qu'il souffrait. 49. Il lui dit: "Qu'avez vous, mon pauvre homme vous paraissez souffrir." 50. "J'ai grand' faim (2), mon cher enfant ; 51. je n'ai rien mangé depuis ce matin. 52. Je n'ai pas gagné de quoi acheter un morceau de pain." 53. Guillot, sans rien dire, courut chercher ce qui restait de son gâteau et le lui donna. (a) See note (a), p. 89. 54. Afterward he made a collection among his school-fellows, 55. and was thus able to procure for the old man the means of getting a good supper. 56. How laudable was the conduct of this good, child, 57. compared with the selfishness of the other two! 17. THE HALF-PERFECT PICTURE. An artist had painted a child holding a basket of fruit. A friend of his, who admired this picture, wishing to point out its perfections, said to some persons who were examining it, that the fruit was so natural that the birds came to peck at it. A countryman, who heard these praises, said, "If this fruit is as well represented as you say, it is not so with the child, since he does not frighten the birds." 18. THE MERIT OF LOUIS XIV. APPRECIATED Louis XIV. (the Fourteenth) having done Madame de Sévigné the honor of dancing with her, this lady said to Bussy, near whom she was seated: "It must be acknowledged that the king has great qualities. I think he will eclipse the glory of his ancestors." Bussy, perceiving why she lavished these praises upon the monarch, could not help laughing at her. He said to her, "Madame, nobody can doubt it, since he has just danced with you." 54. Ensuite il fit une quête parmi ses camarades, 55. et put ainsi procurer à ce vieillard le moyen d'avoir un bon souper. 56. Combien la conduite de ce brave enfant est louable, 57. comparée à l'égoïsme des deux autres! 17. LE PORTRAIT À DEMI RÉUSSI. Un artiste avait peint un enfant tenant une corbeille de fruits. Un de ses amis, qui admirait ce tableau, voulant en montrer la perfection, disait à quelques personnes qui l'examinaient que les fruits paraissaient si naturels que les oiseaux venaient les becqueter. Un paysan, qui avait entendu ces louanges, dit: "Si ces fruits sont aussi bien représentés que vous le dites, il n'en est pas de même de l'enfant, puisqu'il n'effraye pas les oiseaux." 18. LE MÉRITE DE LOUIS XIV APPRÉCIÉ Louis XIV (Quatorze) ayant fait à Mme. de Sévigné l'honneur de danser avec elle, cette dame dit à Bussy, auprès de qui elle était assise: "Il faut avouer que le roi a de grandes qualités. Je crois qu'il effacera la gloire de ces ancêtres." Bussy, en voyant à quel propos elle prodiguait ces louanges au monarque, ne put s'empêcher de lui rire au nez. I lui dit: "Madame, on ne peut en douter, puisqu'il vient de danser avec vous." 19. CORREGGIO. This celebrated painter, having gone to Parma to receive twelve hundred francs, the price of one of his pictures, which he had sold to an inhabitant of that town, was paid the whole amount in copper. He durst not refuse it, being then very much in want, and his mother having just recovered from a long sickness. As he took up the enormous bag which contained that sum, he exclaimed, "O my good mother, this is for you, and I will carry it to you." He hastened to carry it himself. But, on reaching his home, exhausted with fatigue and covered with perspiration, he only had time to embrace his mother and get into bed. He died a few days after, of an inflammation of the lungs. (Historical.) 20. THE GRENADIER AND MARSHAL SAXE. Ви to A grenadier in Marshal Saxe's army, having been caught in the act of stealing a turkey on a farm, was condemned to death. The turkey was at most worth five francs ($1). The marshal said to him, "You have very little sense to risk your life for five francs." (a)" General," replied the grenadier, "I risk it every day for five sous (five cents), and my fellow-soldiers will tell you that I do not shun danger." The marshal smiled and granted him his pardon. (Historical.) (a) My (mon) ne s'emploie pas en anglais en s'adressant à des officiers ou sous-officiers. |