French · Intermediate
Adapted from The Steadfast Tin Soldier
A one-legged tin soldier faces a series of dangers after falling in love with a paper dancer.
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Scene 1 · Intermediate
Vingt-cinq soldats d’étain étaient frères : on les avait tous fondus dans le métal d’une même vieille cuillère. Le fusil à l’épaule, le regard droit devant eux, ils portaient de beaux uniformes rouges et bleus.
Twenty-five tin soldiers were brothers: they had all been cast from the metal of the same old spoon. With their rifles on their shoulders and their eyes fixed straight ahead, they wore handsome red and blue uniforms.
« Des soldats d’étain ! »
“Tin soldiers!”
Ces premiers mots qu’ils ont entendus venaient d’un petit garçon qui applaudissait de joie. Il venait de recevoir la boîte pour son anniversaire et disposait ses soldats sur la table. Tous se ressemblaient, sauf le dernier : il n’avait qu’une jambe, car il n’était plus resté assez d’étain pour terminer sa fabrication.
The first words they heard came from a little boy who clapped with joy. He had just received the box for his birthday and was arranging his soldiers on the table. They all looked alike except for the last one: he had only one leg, because there wasn’t enough tin left to finish making him.
Cela ne l’empêchait pas de tenir aussi fermement debout que les autres.
That didn’t stop him from standing just as firmly upright as the others.
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