The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin — Page 5
But Nutkin ran in front laughing, and shouting--
Mais Noisette courut devant en riant et en criant :
"Humpty Dumpty lies in the beck, With a white counterpane round his neck, Forty doctors and forty wrights, Cannot put Humpty Dumpty to rights!"
« Humpty Dumpty gît dans le ruisseau, Avec une courtepointe blanche autour du cou, Quarante médecins et quarante charpentiers, Ne peuvent remettre Humpty Dumpty sur pied ! »
Now old Mr. Brown took an interest in eggs; he opened one eye and shut it again.
Le vieux M. Brun s'intéressait aux œufs ; il ouvrit un œil et le referma.
But still he did not speak.
Mais il ne dit toujours rien.
Nutkin became more and more impertinent--
Noisette devenait de plus en plus impertinent :
"Old Mr. B! Old Mr. B! Hickamore, Hackamore, on the King's kitchen door; All the King's horses, and all the King's men, Couldn't drive Hickamore, Hackamore, Off the King's kitchen door."
« Vieux M. B ! Vieux M. B ! Hickamore, Hackamore, sur la porte de la cuisine du Roi ; Tous les chevaux du Roi et tous les hommes du Roi, Ne pouvaient chasser Hickamore, Hackamore, De la porte de la cuisine du Roi. »
Nutkin danced up and down like a sunbeam; but still Old Brown said nothing at all.
Noisette sautillait comme un rayon de soleil ; mais le vieux Brun ne disait toujours rien.
Nutkin began again--
Noisette recommença :
"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band, He comes roaring up the land! The King of Scots with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!"
« Arthur Arcbois a brisé ses liens, Il arrive en rugissant à travers le pays ! Le Roi d'Écosse avec toute sa puissance, Ne peut arrêter Arthur des Bois ! »
Nutkin made a whirring noise to sound like the wind, and he took a running jump right onto the head of Old Brown!...
Noisette fit un bruit de vrombissement pour imiter le vent, et il prit son élan pour sauter directement sur la tête du vieux Brun !…
Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud "Squeak!"
Puis tout à coup il y eut un battement d'ailes, une bousculade et un grand « Couic ! »
The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.
Les autres écureuils se sauvèrent précipitamment dans les buissons.
When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree--there was Old Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.
Quand ils revinrent très prudemment, en jetant un coup d'œil derrière l'arbre, le vieux Brun était assis sur le pas de sa porte, parfaitement immobile, les yeux fermés, comme si rien ne s'était passé.
But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!
Mais Noisette était dans la poche de son gilet !
This looks like the end of the story; but it isn't.
Cela ressemble à la fin de l'histoire ; mais ce n'est pas le cas.
Vocabulary
- Mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast
- Noisette
- Small brown nut; also a shade of light brown
- courut
- Past tense of 'courir'; ran quickly
- devant
- Preposition meaning 'in front of' or 'before'
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'while'
- riant
- Present participle of 'rire'; laughing
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and', linking words or clauses
- criant
- Present participle of 'crier'; shouting or crying out
- gît
- Third-person singular of 'gésir'; lies prostrate or fallen
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
- le
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- ruisseau
- A small stream or brook of flowing water
- Avec
- Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment
- une
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for feminine nouns
- courtepointe
- A quilted bedcover or decorative stitched blanket
- blanche
- Feminine adjective meaning 'white' in color
- autour
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'around' something
- du
- Contracted article combining 'de' and 'le'
- cou
- The neck, body part connecting head to shoulders
- Quarante
- The number forty (40)
- médecins
- Plural of 'médecin'; doctors or physicians
- charpentiers
- Plural of 'charpentier'; carpenters who work with wood
- Ne
- Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs
- peuvent
- Third-person plural of 'pouvoir'; they can or are able
- remettre
- To put back, restore, or set something upright again
- sur
- Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'
- pied
- The foot; also used in expressions like 'on one's feet'
- Le
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- vieux
- Adjective meaning 'old', describing an aged person or thing
- M.
- Abbreviation for 'Monsieur'; Mister or Mr.
- Brun
- Adjective or surname meaning 'brown' in color
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun 'se' elided before a vowel sound
- intéressait
- Imperfect of 'intéresser'; was interested in something
- aux
- Contracted article combining 'à' and 'les'
- œufs
- Plural of 'œuf'; eggs laid by birds or used in cooking
- il
- Third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'
- ouvrit
- Past tense of 'ouvrir'; opened something such as an eye
- un
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for masculine nouns
- œil
- The eye, singular form of 'yeux'
- referma
- Past tense of 'refermer'; closed again or shut back
- ne
- Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs
- dit
- Past tense of 'dire'; said something to someone
- toujours
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'
- rien
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nothing' or 'anything'
- devenait
- Imperfect of 'devenir'; was becoming something gradually
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or indicating possession
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' or used in comparatives
- impertinent
- Adjective meaning rude, cheeky, or disrespectful in manner
- Vieux
- Adjective meaning 'old', describing an aged entity
- la
- Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns
- porte
- A door or gate providing entry to a space
- cuisine
- The kitchen, room where food is prepared and cooked
- Roi
- The king, male monarch ruling over a kingdom
- Tous
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every'
- les
- Definite article 'the' for plural nouns
- chevaux
- Plural of 'cheval'; horses used for riding or work
- tous
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every'
- hommes
- Plural of 'homme'; men or human beings generally
- pouvaient
- Imperfect of 'pouvoir'; they were able to or could
- chasser
- To hunt animals or to drive something away forcibly
- De
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or indicating origin
- sautillait
- Imperfect of 'sautiller'; was hopping or skipping lightly
- comme
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'like' or 'as'
- rayon
- A ray or beam, often of light; also a shelf or spoke
- soleil
- The sun, the star at the center of our solar system
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast
- disait
- Imperfect of 'dire'; was saying or used to say something
- recommença
- Past tense of 'recommencer'; started again or resumed
- a
- Third-person singular of 'avoir'; has, auxiliary verb
- brisé
- Past participle of 'briser'; broken or shattered something
- ses
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural)
- liens
- Plural of 'lien'; bonds, ties, or restraints binding something
- Il
- Third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'
- arrive
- Third-person singular of 'arriver'; arrives or is arriving
- rugissant
- Present participle of 'rugir'; roaring loudly like a beast
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
- travers
- Used in 'à travers' meaning 'through' or 'across'
- pays
- A country or region; the land or territory
- d'
- Elided form of 'de', preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- Écosse
- Scotland, the northern country of Great Britain
- avec
- Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment
- toute
- Feminine form of 'tout'; all, entire, or complete
- sa
- Feminine possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its'
- puissance
- Power, strength, or might of a person or force
- peut
- Third-person singular of 'pouvoir'; can or is able to
- arrêter
- To stop, halt, or arrest someone or something
- des
- Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'any'
- Bois
- Plural of 'bois'; woods, forests, or pieces of wood
- fit
- Past tense of 'faire'; made or did something
- bruit
- A noise or sound, often unpleasant or loud
- vrombissement
- A humming or buzzing sound, like an engine or wings
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
- imiter
- To imitate or mimic a sound, action, or person
- vent
- The wind, moving air in the atmosphere
- prit
- Past tense of 'prendre'; took or seized something
- son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'
- élan
- A running start; also enthusiasm or momentum
- sauter
- To jump or leap over something
- directement
- Adverb meaning 'directly' or 'straight' without detour
- tête
- The head, uppermost part of the human body
- Puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in a sequence
- tout
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'every', or 'quite'
- coup
- A blow or hit; used in 'tout à coup' meaning 'suddenly'
- y
- Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it'
- eut
- Past tense of 'avoir'; there was (in 'il y eut')
- battement
- A beating or flapping, as of wings or a heart
- ailes
- Plural of 'aile'; wings of a bird or insect
- bousculade
- A scuffle or jostling crowd movement, a commotion
- grand
- Adjective meaning 'big', 'great', or 'tall'
- Les
- Definite article 'the' for plural nouns
- autres
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'
- écureuils
- Plural of 'écureuil'; squirrels, small bushy-tailed rodents
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself', 'himself', 'herself'
- sauvèrent
- Past tense of 'se sauver'; fled or ran away quickly
- précipitamment
- Adverb meaning 'hastily' or 'in a rush', very quickly
- buissons
- Plural of 'buisson'; bushes or shrubs in a landscape
- Quand
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
- ils
- Third-person masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they'
- revinrent
- Past tense of 'revenir'; came back or returned
- très
- Adverb meaning 'very', intensifying an adjective or adverb
- prudemment
- Adverb meaning 'cautiously' or 'prudently', with care
- jetant
- Present participle of 'jeter'; throwing or casting a glance
- derrière
- Preposition or adverb meaning 'behind' or 'at the back'
- l'
- Elided definite article 'le' or 'la' before a vowel
- arbre
- A tree, a large woody plant with trunk and branches
- était
- Imperfect of 'être'; was, describing a past state
- assis
- Past participle of 'asseoir'; seated or sitting down
- pas
- Negative particle used with 'ne'; also a step or pace
- parfaitement
- Adverb meaning 'perfectly' or 'absolutely', completely so
- immobile
- Adjective meaning 'motionless' or 'still', not moving
- yeux
- Plural of 'œil'; eyes, the organs used for seeing
- fermés
- Past participle of 'fermer'; closed, shut tight
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or adverb meaning 'so' or 'yes'
- passé
- Past participle of 'passer'; passed or slipped something through
- poche
- A pocket in clothing for carrying small items
- gilet
- A waistcoat or vest worn over a shirt
- Cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing'
- ressemble
- Third-person singular of 'ressembler'; resembles or looks like
- fin
- The end or conclusion of something; also thin or fine
- histoire
- A story, tale, or history of events
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'
- n'
- Elided negative particle 'ne' before a vowel
- est
- Third-person singular of 'être'; is, present tense
- cas
- A case, instance, or situation; used in expressions like 'en tout cas'
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