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TheFableCottage.com presents
L’Oiseau et la
Baleine
THE BIRD AND THE WHALE
Note: This story was originally published on our other website, The French Experiment.
Republished here with everyone's permission, because we're all the same person.
Il était une fois un oiseau qui aimait une baleine. Et une baleine qui aimait
un oiseau.
Once upon a time there was a bird who loved a whale. And a whale who loved a
bird.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
The bird loved the whale's beautiful smile. He loved the gracious way she swam
through the water. The whale loved the bird's handsome white feathers. She loved
to watch him soar through the sky.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
During the summer, the bird and the whale met in the bay. They talked a lot. They
talked about the moon, and the tides, and the ships on the ocean.
The bird told jokes and made the whale laugh. The whale sang beautiful songs
that made the bird cry.
"One day, you can meet my family in the ocean," said the whale.
"And you can meet my friends on the land," said the bird.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
But the world does not stop turning simply because a bird and whale fall in love.
Summer gave way to autumn, and autumn gave way to winter. The ocean became
cold, and all the whales left for warmer waters.
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« Viens avec moi vers des eaux plus chaudes », dit la baleine. « C’est un
endroit formidable. Il y fait toujours chaud et il y a tellement de poissons
à manger. »
"Come with me to warmer waters," said the whale. "It’s a wonderful place. It is always
warm there, and there are so many fish to eat."
"I love to eat fish," said the bird. "And I love you too. I will follow you anywhere. But
first, teach me to be a whale."
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"Like this!" said the whale, "follow me!", and she dived deep into the water.
"OK!" said the bird, and he also dived into the water.
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He tried to swim again and again, but he ran out of breath every time.
« Je ne pense pas qu’un oiseau puisse être une baleine », dit l’oiseau.
« Viens plutôt avec moi. Je vis sur les falaises. C’est un endroit
merveilleux. Le temps y est chaud et agréable, et tous les matins tu peux
regarder le soleil se lever. »
"I don't think a bird can be a whale," said the bird. "Come with me instead. I live on the
cliffs. It is a wonderful place. The weather is warm and pleasant, and you can watch the
sun rise every morning."
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"I love to watch the sun rise," said the whale. "And I love you too. I will follow you
anywhere. But first, teach me to be a bird."
"Like this!" said the bird. "Follow me!", and he flapped his wings and soared into the
sky.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
« D’accord ! » dit la baleine. Elle ferma les yeux et battit des nageoires,
exactement comme l’oiseau. Elle battait encore et encore, de bas en haut.
L’eau giclait en tous sens.
“OK!" said the whale. She shut her eyes and flapped her fins, just like the bird. She
flapped her fins again and again, up and down. Water splashed everywhere.
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Mais lorsqu’elle ouvrit les yeux, elle ne planait pas dans le ciel. Elle était
toujours dans l’eau.
Elle essaya encore et encore de voler, mais elle n’y arrivait pas.
But when she opened her eyes, she was not soaring in the sky. She was still in the
water.
She tried to fly, again and again, but she could not do it.
"You don’t know how to fly and I don’t know how to swim. So where can we live
together?" said the bird.
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"You love to swim deep in the ocean," he said. "That is your favorite thing to do. You
will never be happy here."
La baleine soupira.
"And you love to fly and soar into the sky," said the whale. "That is your favorite thing
to do. You will never be happy here either."
And so, because the bird and whale loved each other so much, they said goodbye.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
Mais ils ne s’oublièrent jamais l’un l’autre. A chaque fois que la baleine
voyait un oiseau voler haut dans le ciel, elle pensait à son oiseau. Elle
espérait qu’il appréciait le ciel – juste comme ça.
But they never forgot each other. Every time the whale saw a bird flying high in the
sky, she thought of her bird. She hoped he was enjoying the sky – just like that.
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12.08.2021 L'Oiseau et la Baleine (The Bird and the Whale)
Et à chaque fois que l’oiseau voyait une baleine plonger profondément dans
l’océan, il pensait à sa baleine. Il espérait qu’elle appréciait l’océan – juste
comme ça.
And every time the bird saw a whale diving deep in the ocean, he thought of his
whale. He hoped she was enjoying the ocean — just like that.
Based on "The Bird and The Whale", by Aletta. Illustrated by Aletta. Voiced by Jérôme.
Translated by Lingwei and Jérôme. Music by Ryan. Also available in English, Spanish,
German, Italian, and Russian.
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