Mother Goose Tales French-English EPUB
Charles Perrault’s fairy tales are familiar around the world, which makes reading them in original French an effortless bridge into French narrative tenses (`imparfait` and `passé simple`) for CEFR A2–B1 learners.
- Original language
- French · Charles Perrault
- First published
- 1697
- CEFR Level
- A2
- Public Domain & Translation Note
- Full original EPUB on Project Gutenberg
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Download the two-chapter bilingual preview EPUB or the core vocabulary list for Anki right away, or open the LangBox EPUB reader to read and save words across the full book.
Chapter 1 & 2 Bilingual Preview
Double-click any word in the excerpt to hear its pronunciation and see its dictionary meaning.
I · Le Petit Chaperon rougeI · Little Red Riding Hood
Original · French
Il était une fois une petite fille de village, la plus jolie qu’on eût su voir ; sa mère en était folle, et sa mère-grand plus folle encore. Cette bonne femme lui fit faire un petit chaperon rouge, qui lui seyait si bien que partout on l’appelait le Petit Chaperon rouge.
Parallel translation
Once upon a time there was a little village girl, the prettiest that could ever be seen; her mother doted on her, and her grandmother doted on her even more. This good woman had a little red hood made for her, which suited her so well that everywhere people called her Little Red Riding Hood.
Original · French
Un jour, sa mère, ayant cuit et fait des galettes, lui dit : « Va voir comment se porte ta mère-grand, car on m’a dit qu’elle était malade : porte-lui une galette et ce petit pot de beurre. »
Parallel translation
One day her mother, having baked and made some flat cakes, said to her: 'Go and see how your grandmother is doing, for I have been told that she is ill: take her a cake and this little pot of butter.'
II · Le Chat bottéII · Puss in Boots
Original · French
Un meunier ne laissa pour tous biens à trois enfants qu’il avait, que son moulin, son âne et son chat. Les partages furent bientôt faits : ni le notaire, ni le procureur n’y furent appelés.
Parallel translation
A miller left as his entire estate to the three sons he had only his mill, his donkey, and his cat. The division of property was soon made: neither notary nor attorney was called in.
Original · French
Ce dernier ne pouvait se consoler d’avoir un si pauvre lot : « Mes frères, disait-il, pourront gagner leur vie honnêtement en se mettant ensemble ; pour moi, lorsque j’aurai mangé mon chat, et que je me serai fait un manchon de sa peau, il faudra que je meure de faim. »
Parallel translation
The youngest son could not console himself over receiving such a poor share: 'My brothers,' he said, 'will be able to earn an honest living by joining forces; as for me, once I have eaten my cat and made myself a muff from his fur, I shall have to die of hunger.'
Core Vocabulary from Chapters 1 & 2
Key words and phrases in context from the opening chapters, ready to review or import into Anki.
| Word & Pronunciation | Meaning in Context | Sentence in Book |
|---|---|---|
| chaperon/ʃapʁɔ̃/n. | a traditional hood or short hooded cape | Cette bonne femme lui fit faire un petit chaperon rouge, qui lui seyait si bien. |
| galette/ɡalɛt/n. | a flat round cake or crusty pastry | Un jour, sa mère, ayant cuit et fait des galettes, lui dit : « Va voir ta mère-grand. » |
| se porter/sə pɔʁte/v. | to feel or be in a particular state of health | « Va voir comment se porte ta mère-grand, car on m’a dit qu’elle était malade. » |
| meunier/mønje/n. | a miller who owns or works a grain mill | Un meunier ne laissa pour tous biens à trois enfants qu’il avait, que son moulin, son âne et son chat. |
| partage/paʁtaʒ/n. | division or sharing out of an inheritance | Les partages furent bientôt faits : ni le notaire, ni le procureur n’y furent appelés. |
| gagner sa vie/ɡaɲe sa vi/phr. | to earn one's living | « Mes frères, disait-il, pourront gagner leur vie honnêtement en se mettant ensemble. » |