The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse — Page 5
Tittlemouse followed him with a dish-cloth, to wipe his large wet footmarks off the parlour floor.
Tittlemouse le suivit avec un torchon, pour essuyer ses grandes empreintes mouillées sur le plancher du salon.
[Illustration: Wiping up footmarks]
[Illustration : Essuyage des empreintes]
[Illustration: Walking down the passage]
[Illustration : Marche dans le couloir]
When he had convinced himself that there was no honey in the cupboards, he began to walk down the passage.
Lorsqu'il se fut convaincu qu'il n'y avait pas de miel dans les placards, il commença à marcher dans le couloir.
"Indeed, indeed, you will stick fast, Mr. Jackson!"
« En vérité, en vérité, vous allez vous coincer, M. Jackson ! »
"Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mrs. Tittlemouse!"
« Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mme Tittlemouse ! »
First he squeezed into the pantry.
Il se glissa d'abord dans le garde-manger.
"Tiddly, widdly, widdly? no honey? no honey, Mrs. Tittlemouse?"
« Tiddly, widdly, widdly ? pas de miel ? pas de miel, Mme Tittlemouse ? »
There were three creepy-crawly people hiding in the plate-rack.
Il y avait trois petites bestioles cachées dans le porte-assiettes.
Two of them got away; but the littlest one he caught.
Deux d'entre elles s'échappèrent ; mais la plus petite, il l'attrapa.
[Illustration: Creepy-crawly people]
[Illustration : Petites bestioles]
[Illustration: Butterfly tasting the sugar]
[Illustration : Le papillon goûtant le sucre]
Then he squeezed into the larder.
Puis il se glissa dans le cellier.
Miss Butterfly was tasting the sugar; but she flew away out of the window.
Mademoiselle Papillon goûtait le sucre ; mais elle s'envola par la fenêtre.
"Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mrs. Tittlemouse; you seem to have plenty of visitors!"
« Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mme Tittlemouse ; vous semblez avoir beaucoup de visiteurs ! »
"And without any invitation!" said Mrs. Thomasina Tittlemouse.
« Et sans aucune invitation ! » dit Mme Thomasina Tittlemouse.
They went along the sandy passage--"Tiddly widdly--" "Buzz! Wizz! Wizz!"
Ils s'avancèrent dans le couloir sableux -- « Tiddly widdly -- » « Bzz ! Zzz ! Zzz ! »
He met Babbitty round a corner, and snapped her up, and put her down again.
Il rencontra Babbitty au détour d'un couloir, la happa, puis la reposa.
"I do not like bumble bees. They are all over bristles," said Mr. Jackson, wiping his mouth with his coat-sleeve.
« Je n'aime pas les bourdons. Ils sont tout couverts de poils », dit M. Jackson en s'essuyant la bouche avec sa manche.
"Get out, you nasty old toad!" shrieked Babbitty Bumble.
« Dehors, vilain vieux crapaud ! » cria Babbitty Bourdon.
"I shall go distracted!" scolded Mrs. Tittlemouse.
« Je vais devenir folle ! » gronda Mme Tittlemouse.
[Illustration: Confronting the Bee]
[Illustration : Face au bourdon]
[Illustration: Shut into the nut-cellar]
[Illustration : Enfermée dans la cave à noix]
She shut herself up in the nut-cellar while Mr. Jackson pulled out the bees-nest.
Elle s'enferma dans la cave à noix pendant que M. Jackson extrayait le nid d'abeilles.
He seemed to have no objection to stings.
Il ne semblait avoir aucune objection aux piqûres.
When Mrs.
Quand Mme
Vocabulary
- le
- Definite article meaning 'the' for masculine nouns.
- suivit
- Past tense of 'suivre'; he/she followed someone.
- avec
- Preposition meaning 'with' in French.
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- torchon
- A cloth or rag used for wiping or cleaning.
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
- essuyer
- To wipe or dry a surface with a cloth.
- ses
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- grandes
- Adjective meaning 'large' or 'big', feminine plural.
- empreintes
- Footprints or marks left on a surface.
- mouillées
- Adjective meaning 'wet' or 'damp', feminine plural.
- sur
- Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon' a surface.
- plancher
- The floor of a room in a building.
- du
- Contracted article meaning 'of the' for masculine nouns.
- salon
- The living room or sitting room of a house.
- Illustration
- A picture or image accompanying a text.
- Essuyage
- The act of wiping or drying a surface.
- des
- Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
- Marche
- Walking or a step; also a march or staircase step.
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside' a place.
- couloir
- A corridor or hallway in a building.
- Lorsqu'
- Conjunction meaning 'when' before a vowel sound.
- il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'.
- fut
- Simple past of 'être'; was or had been.
- convaincu
- Past participle of 'convaincre'; convinced or persuaded.
- qu'
- Conjunction 'que' before a vowel; meaning 'that'.
- n'
- Negation particle 'ne' before a vowel; part of negation.
- y
- Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it'.
- avait
- Imperfect tense of 'avoir'; there was or had.
- pas
- Negation word meaning 'not' used with 'ne'.
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
- miel
- Honey, a sweet substance produced by bees.
- les
- Definite article meaning 'the' for plural nouns.
- placards
- Cupboards or closets used for storing items.
- commença
- Simple past of 'commencer'; he/she began or started.
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
- marcher
- To walk or to move on foot.
- En
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'by'.
- vérité
- Truth; honestly or in fact.
- en
- Pronoun or preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'some'.
- vous
- Second-person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'.
- allez
- Second-person plural of 'aller'; you are going.
- coincer
- To trap, wedge, or get someone stuck somewhere.
- M.
- Abbreviation for 'Monsieur', meaning 'Mr.' in French.
- Mme
- Abbreviation for 'Madame', meaning 'Mrs.' in French.
- Il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
- glissa
- Simple past of 'glisser'; he/she slipped or slid.
- d'
- Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel; 'of/from'.
- abord
- Used in 'd'abord' meaning 'first' or 'at first'.
- garde-manger
- A pantry or larder for storing food.
- trois
- The number three in French.
- petites
- Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little', feminine plural.
- bestioles
- Small bugs or tiny creatures, informal term.
- cachées
- Past participle of 'cacher'; hidden or concealed.
- porte-assiettes
- A plate rack used for storing or drying plates.
- Deux
- The number two in French.
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among' things.
- elles
- Third-person plural feminine pronoun meaning 'they'.
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun 'se' before a vowel; herself/himself.
- échappèrent
- Simple past of 'échapper'; they escaped or got away.
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but' to introduce a contrast.
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' for feminine nouns.
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most' in comparisons.
- petite
- Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little', feminine singular.
- l'
- Definite article 'le/la' contracted before a vowel.
- attrapa
- Simple past of 'attraper'; he/she caught or grabbed.
- Petites
- Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little', feminine plural.
- Le
- Definite article meaning 'the' for masculine nouns.
- papillon
- A butterfly, a winged insect found in gardens.
- goûtant
- Present participle of 'goûter'; tasting or sampling food.
- sucre
- Sugar, a sweet crystalline substance used in food.
- Puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterwards' in sequence.
- cellier
- A storeroom or cellar for food and provisions.
- Mademoiselle
- Title for an unmarried woman, equivalent to 'Miss'.
- Papillon
- Butterfly; here used as a character's name.
- goûtait
- Imperfect of 'goûter'; was tasting or sampling food.
- elle
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
- envola
- Simple past of 's'envoler'; she flew away or off.
- par
- Preposition meaning 'through', 'by', or 'via'.
- fenêtre
- A window in a wall of a building.
- semblez
- Second-person plural of 'sembler'; you seem or appear.
- avoir
- Infinitive of 'avoir'; to have something.
- beaucoup
- Adverb meaning 'a lot', 'many', or 'much'.
- visiteurs
- Visitors or guests coming to a place.
- Et
- Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words or clauses.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without' something or someone.
- aucune
- Negative adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any'.
- invitation
- A request or card asking someone to attend an event.
- dit
- Simple past of 'dire'; he/she said or told.
- Ils
- Third-person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'.
- avancèrent
- Simple past of 'avancer'; they moved forward or advanced.
- sableux
- Adjective meaning 'sandy' or 'full of sand'.
- rencontra
- Simple past of 'rencontrer'; he/she met or encountered.
- au
- Contracted article meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
- détour
- A detour or bend; 'au détour' means 'around the bend'.
- happa
- Simple past of 'happer'; he/she snapped up or seized.
- puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in a sequence.
- reposa
- Simple past of 'reposer'; he/she put down or rested.
- Je
- First-person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
- aime
- First-person singular of 'aimer'; I like or love.
- bourdons
- Bumblebees, large fuzzy bees that buzz loudly.
- sont
- Third-person plural of 'être'; they are.
- tout
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'all', 'every', or 'quite'.
- couverts
- Past participle of 'couvrir'; covered or coated with.
- poils
- Hairs or bristles covering an animal's body.
- essuyant
- Present participle of 'essuyer'; wiping or drying.
- bouche
- The mouth, the opening used for eating and speaking.
- sa
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- manche
- A sleeve of a garment covering the arm.
- Dehors
- Adverb meaning 'outside' or 'out'; go outside.
- vilain
- Adjective meaning 'nasty', 'ugly', or 'wicked'.
- vieux
- Adjective meaning 'old', used before masculine nouns.
- crapaud
- A toad, a warty amphibian related to frogs.
- cria
- Simple past of 'crier'; he/she shouted or cried out.
- Bourdon
- A bumblebee; also used here as a character's name.
- vais
- First-person singular of 'aller'; I am going.
- devenir
- Infinitive meaning 'to become' something or someone.
- folle
- Adjective meaning 'crazy' or 'mad', feminine form.
- gronda
- Simple past of 'gronder'; he/she growled or scolded.
- Face
- The face or front; face-to-face with something.
- bourdon
- A bumblebee, a large fuzzy buzzing insect.
- Enfermée
- Past participle of 'enfermer'; locked or shut inside.
- cave
- A cellar or basement room below a building.
- noix
- A walnut or nut; general term for nuts.
- Elle
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
- enferma
- Simple past of 'enfermer'; he/she locked or shut in.
- pendant
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'while' an action occurs.
- que
- Conjunction meaning 'that', 'which', or 'than'.
- extrayait
- Imperfect of 'extraire'; was extracting or removing.
- nid
- A nest built by birds or insects for habitation.
- abeilles
- Bees, flying insects that produce honey.
- ne
- Negation particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs.
- semblait
- Imperfect of 'sembler'; seemed or appeared to be.
- objection
- An objection or protest against something proposed.
- aux
- Contracted article meaning 'to the' or 'at the' plural.
- piqûres
- Stings or bites from insects such as bees.
- Quand
- Conjunction meaning 'when' referring to a time.
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