I didn't have a picture of a toad, but my French encyclopedia tells me that "crapaud" is synonymous with "prince"… and what mom doesn't think that much of her own son? Meet Max, my 13-year-old. Max is in charge of writing today's story. Enjoy his bi-lingual column, below! PS: Max detests this photo but has given me permission to use it… in exchange for one blue star! Would you like Max to explain the star system that we have recently incorporated into our routine? Perhaps that would make for a good future story?
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Temptations for you (and me!):
Traditional French Wall Soap holder and Marseilles soap (this one is on my wish list!)
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un crapaud (krah-poh) noun, masculine
: toad
More about les crapauds in this Wikipedia entry:
"Le juvénile est têtard puis crapelet. Les crapauds coassent, sifflent ou flûtent." The young crapaud is a tadpole, then a "crapelet". Toads croak, whistle or…" (play the flute?…)
As you can see, I had a little difficulty translating the above example. Feel free to share your own interpretation, in the comments box. Do you know of any "crapaud" terms or expressions? Anything "crapaud" related is welcome in the comments box!
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Les drôles de crapauds
par Maxime Espinasse
Un soir j'étais avec ma grand-mère quand des crapauds coassaient dans ma piscine (elle est tellement sale, personne n'ose la laver !). Ma grand-mère était tellement fatiguée qu'elle m'a dit « I can hear your mom talking ». J'ai rigolé et je lui ai expliqué que c'était des crapauds. Ils coassaient tellement fort que c'était embêtant pour dormir. Bref, on aurait dit qu'ils jouaient à cache-cache et quand un crapaud trouvait l'autre ça faisait beaucoup de bruit. Quels drôles de crapauds!
English version :
One night I was with my grandmother when the toads were croaking in my swimming pool (it is so dirty that no one dares to clean it!). My grandmother was so tired that she said to me "I can hear your mom talking." I laughed and I explained to her that those were toads. They were croaking so loud that it was difficult to sleep. In short, you would have thought they were playing hide-n-seek and that when one toad found the other it made a lot of noise. What curious crapauds!
* * * The End (Croak!) * * *
Would you like to read more bi-lingual stories written by Max? Do you know of any other young adults who might enjoy this column, too? Please share French Word-A-Day with a young friend today! Meantime, if you enjoyed today's story, you might leave Max un mot in the comments box. Merci d'avance!
I love the colors on French walls, the lazy benches, the lace in the windows… and the flowers in this pot. Does anyone know what kind of fleurs these are? Apparently they are easy to care for. I see them everywhere this time of year!
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Merci, Max, pour your story. I can practice reading French this way! I loved it and it was clever and cute! Joy in USA
p.s and I have always loved les crapauds . . .
I love Max’s bilingual story – more please. He is growing so fast!
I also love les crapauds…et les grenouilles!!
Merci, Max. J’ai habite a Paris depuis 5 ans. J’ai compris tous les mots dans votre histoire sauf deux mots. Ils sont: coassaient et embetant. Mais, j’ai compris le context. Merci bien. Je me debrouille ….
s’il vous plait……encore! C’est drole!
Merci Max, I really enjoyed your story. I am glad you gave maman permission to include your photo. It is a very fine photo.
best wishes
Christine
Je vous remercie, Max. On peut dire “Quelle drole d’histoire!”? Cela m’a fait rigoler -it made my morning : ) Les grands-mères sont les meilleures, n’est-ce pas?
Max, thank you for your story. I am an almost 60 year old grand-mere who is learing French for my dream trip to your country. I was pleased that I could understand most of your story. That which I couldn’t will go on my ‘flash cards’ and my ‘conjugation sheets’ to add to my vocabulary. You are a very good writer — amusing and clear. I hope to read more of your stories in the future.
My Darling and Beautiful MAX,
Your story is wonderful, clever like you are.
XOXO
GRAND-MERE JULES
Sweet, sweet, sweet story, Max. I don’t know why you don’t like that gorgeous picture of you. You look EXACTLY like your Mom which is a HUGE compliment.
Thank you, Max. You have shown imagination, a willingness to share your thought process, and a gifted way of making us understand. I suggest a To Be Continued, instead of The End.
The white flowers look very much like pelargoniums, more commonly known as geraniums. These in the photo are the trailing variety. They are not winter hardy and should be taken indoors or kept in a frost-free greenhouse over winter. Do not put them back outside until all danger of frost has passed. Cut them back before winter and take cuttings to provide more plants for next year. Do not overwater in winter or they will die!
Try them in pots with a very dark red or purple trailing verbena which should soon be on the market stalls. Treat them the same for overwintering and propagating as the pelargoniums. Happy gardening!!!
Merci, Max — loved your histoire about les crapauds, quel bon mot! Nous avons les petites “maisons” for them, in les jardins, made of pottery, a place for them to hide. Mais, I have never found un crapaud dans “un maison du crapaud”! Once cleaning debris in my garden I unearthed a toad–there is was in my HAND and I screamed my head off! Peut-etre you would not mind holding un crapaud, pas moi! Avez-vous an expression en francais comme cela? What do you say when you are shocked and disgusted and totally freaking out…like, pour moi, picking up un crapaud by mistake?
It would be very nice to hear more Max Musings in the future. Merci beaucoup!
Thanks for these comments, makes me sow happy.
Merci pour ces commentaires, sa me fait tellement plaisir que des personnes comme vous me sollicite.
I’m going to work on my stories, my mom is going to show you another one soon.
Je vais travailler sur mes histoires, ma mère va vous en montrer une autre bientôt.
For Pat
We can say “Ha c’est dégeulasse” thats more for the young people it means “Ha, its so yucky”!
Max-
I hope you won’t mind if I use your text with my 8th grade French class! They are studying the imparfait now and your story has great examples. If you would ever like a penpal (or several), I am sure that some of my students would love to write to a “real” French person their age!
Merci beaucoup!
Teresa Engebretsen
Merci Max. I was born in Louisiana, many who speak French there have changed some of the words(but not all) When my husband went hunting with some of my relatives, who are Cajuns, he told me they called frogs ‘wa-wa-ron’ because that is what they sound like. Although I took French languages are not my forté, so I didn’t do well. My parents spoke French to each other but never in front of me. Sad, so sad.
Keep writing.
Juliette Préjean Hudson
Thank you for responding to Max’s story!
Margaret : Glad to know the name of this flower! A lady “of a certain age” in the town of Rasteau has offered me cuttings. Now to go back and collect them! Thank you for the care instructions 🙂 I *love* the way they trail. Now to look into those purple and red verbena…
Natalie: merci beaucoup!
Guernsey people refer to Jersey dwellers as crapauds – in return, the Guernsey people are termed ‘donkeys’ – in the nicest way, of course. Thanks for a lovely story.
I call my husband “the gondolier” because he is always out with a long broom sweeping the pool … sinon …”Ha c’est dégeulasse”…avec des crapauds partout… however…we have 4 cats who love “cuisses de crapaud” or anything else they can get their paws on…
Max — What a great, funny story and so well written. Am going to send it to a friend pf mine who teaches French.
You obviously inherited some of your mother’s talent for writing. Please keep writing!
Mille fois merci!
I learned something from you Max, so your posting was not in vain. The french word for the very brief english word “so” is “tellement”. I look forward to reading more of your musings.
Thanks for your story, Max. It was short but amusing. Have fun writing! 🙂
In Oak Ridge, New Jersey, we hear the frogs every night, starting in the spring time and lasting generally through August. They make quite a concert and get very loud when the weather becomes really warm. We also have tree frogs that sing away and bull frogs that are really loud.
Thank you, Max, for your lovely story.
Merci, Max. C’est drole et facile pour moi a comprendre. SVP beaucoup plus des histoires.
I Liked it so much, we need more of these!!! Not just for younger readers, everyone will enjoy more of these. PLEASE**** we want more stories from Max 🙂
Great story, Max. My daughter-in-law in Massachusetts decided to get rid of their above-ground swimming pool for the same reason: there were frogs (not toads) “growing” in their swimming pool and the neighborhood boys were over trying to catch them.
What bothered me about your story, though, was your grandmother thinking the toads were your mother talking. Is your mother’s new found ability to delegate causing stress between them that your grandmother thinks your mother sounds like a toad?
Max, nice job–I liked your story quite a lot. I lived in France in the 60’s and, occasionally, I feel that my spoken French SOUNDS LIKE the 60’s! It’s good to read current colloquial phrasings like yours (not to mention my first encounter with “coasser”, which I’d never have picked up on my own!) Hope you’ll write more.
Merci for the story , Max! It is funny! I am going to pass it on to my daughter, Busy, who is 14 and taking her first year of French. Please write more!
Max, I too liked your story and I appreciate the parallel text. I am 64 with only moderate skills in the french lanquage so the parallel text helps me confirm my understanding plus learn new vocabulary. I envy you for living and growing up in France, plus being raised truely bilingual. I hope you continue writing. You’re very good at it and it will get easier the more you practice.
Merci beacoup!
Rich – USA
Max, great story and I would love more bi-lingual stories…it helps to practice reading side-by-side comme ca.
merci!
Cynthia – USA
In the photo of storyteller Max, I love the “non-chalant” wheelbarrow, toting a twisted vine, perhaps the eagle has been captured, beaucoups talons! Remembrance of FWaDs past. (Pardon-moi!)
Merci pout la petite histoire, Max. C’est mignon (est-ce qu’on peut dire ca pour une histoire? – certainement pour les crapauds!) Mais est-ce qu’il y a un sense idiomatique pour ce mot aussi? J’adore la France et j’espere y habiter dans quelques annees.
Apres avoir lu toutes ces histoires, je me rends compte qu’il y a peu de choses que je peux ajouter. Mais je veux t’encourager; je voudrais que tu continues a ecrire afin que nous, tes lecteurs, puissent travailler la langue et avoir un point de vue different. Merci!!
Max..what a neat story!
J’ai un petit- fils qui se nomme Max (Maxime)..il a 20 mois..c’est le petit frère de Lucas.. il sera le grand frère d’un noubeau bébé au mois de septembre..
Years ago..I lived near a man-made lake and les crapauds coassaient all night at one point in the season..
Your story is amusing and charming.
Thanks for sharing it.
PS I really like that photo of you..
Plse tell your mom I bought the soap she is recommending in Bonnieux at the market last September and we really like it.
Thank you Max! While you practice your English, I can practice my French. Merci.
Thanks, Max. Your story amused me and I’m grateful you wrote it in both tongues.
Hi, Max! It has been said that writing is the best way to master a language. I am a believer . Maybe your next petit histoire could include your very own version en englais!
I know why you do not like this picture of you.
How are your ping-pong skills developing?
You are facing some very challenging years in the near future. For your benefit, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER PERSONS IN THIS WORLD WHO LOVE YOU MORE AND WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE BEST ADVICE THAN YOUR TWO WONDERFUL PARENTS (maybe your grand-mere, too).
Peut-etre I’ll get to see you once more. If the body will allow, you will have another chance to show your ping-pong skills a moi.
You’re great, Max.
Merci, Max! Votre histoire était a l a meme temp tres interessant et amusant. Merci de la lecon.
Wonderful, I love to read youres comments I am so imprest how many of peaple liked my storie I promis I continue !
Merci, Max! Ta petite histoire bilingue m’a beaucoup plu. J’espère que tu continueras à nous écrire de temps en temps.
Max, votre petite histoire des crapauds était charmante et comique! Merci! J’ai sourié. Je voudrais que vous écriviez plus! 🙂
Thanks, Max. We need more words like toad. Do you know this line from Shakespeare’s As You Like It?
“Sweet are the uses of adversity which like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” (Duke Senor, Act 2, Scene 1)
merci max! j’aime le mot ‘crapaud’. merci aussi de l’histoire
Thank you Max! You certainly have gotten a great response to your writing! When I saw the word “crapaud” I thought uh, oh, it sounds like something really bad. Pauvres crapauds!
Writing is the ultimate skill to master in a foreign language, good job!
Sally, retired French teacher
Cher Max,
An excellent story! Please write again.We wish we could speak in French as well as you do in English!
It was a pleasure to meet you! A bientot,
Annabelle et Bill
Thank you, Max. I very much enjoyed your story. I only wish “les crapauds” would disturb my sleep. We used to have toads around here, but I haven’t seen any in several years. sigh
re: expressions relating to “les crapauds”.
During the Napolenic Wars, French soldiers were referred to as “crapauds” by the British soldiers. French soldiers called British soldiers “rossboeufs” (roast beefs).
Merci, Max, pour le bon lecon francais,la petite histoire des crapauds. You tell a good story, and I enjoyed it very mucch. Je suis grandmere de l’etat (pas la ville) de Washington, a USA. S’il te plait, ecris encore tot. A bientot.
Merci Max, I too enjoyed (trying) to read your story in French first and then in English. My son does the same for me, he lives in Lyon but we are Americans. And I am learning French so that I can take care of myself when I stay with him for the month of October. Please post again!
I first came across the term “crapaud” in Bernard Corwell’s terrific series about Mr. Sharpe, during the war between the British and French in the 1800s (Wellington, Napoleon, et al. – but from the point of view of the soldier in the ranks). “Crapauds” was the slang term used by the British for the French – and the French referred to the British as “les rosbifs” or “les goddams” !
Max –
In Minneapolis Minnesota we find des crapauds in our window wells from which they are unable to escape. My son, who is about your age, loves to rescue them and set them free at the pond. People tell him he looks like his mom too. Your stories are great fun to read. Keep up the good work. I’m jealous of your bilingual talent!
P.S. I met your dad last weekend at the wine tasting! I bet you’re glad he’s home.