From Contes Et Legendes, Ire Partie, by H. A. Guerber; New York: American Book Company; 1895; pp. 11-15.
From Tales and Legends, 1st Part, by H. A. Guerber; New York: American Book Company; 1895; pp. 11-15.
[Translator’s Note — This is a new translation by a novice, any corrections are very welcome. It is designed to be fairly exact, for beginning students, in either language.
For comparison, you can see the French Text page with word by word definitions via tool-tip boxes and the Vocabulary used in this story. For every word, in every form defined for the whole book, as well as the bibliography with full citations, see the final Complete Vocabulary. There is also a page with an English only translation.
Technically, the bears have no gender assigned to them, as individuals, in the French text. So I have followed the traditional fairy tale, making the big bear male, the medium sized bear female, and the little bear male. “It” could be used instead, or reversing those standard genders; both ways are just as correct in translating this story. In English, her, its and his are much clearer in this situation. — S. R.]
Les Trois Ours.1
IL y avait une fois un, deux, trois ours : un grand ours, un ours de grandeur moyenne, et un petit ours.
THERE was once upon a time one, two, three bears: a big bear, a bear of medium size, and a little bear.
Les trois ours demeuraient dans une petite maison, dans une grande forêt.
The three bears dwelled in a little house, in a big forest.
Dans la maison, il y avait trois lits : un grand lit pour le grand ours, un lit de grandeur moyenne pour l’ours de grandeur moyenne, et un petit lit pour le petit ours.
In the house, there were three beds: a big bed for the big bear, a bed of medium size for the bear of medium size, and a little bed for the little bear.
Il y avait aussi trois chaises : une grande chaise pour le grand ours, une chaise de grandeur moyenne pour l’ours de grandeur moyenne, et une petite chaise pour le petit ours.
There were also three chairs: a big chair for the big bear, a chair of medium size for the bear of medium size, and a little chair for the little bear.
Il y avait aussi trois assiettes et trois cuillères : une grande assiette et une grande cuillère pour le grand ours, une assiette de grandeur moyenne et une cuillère de grandeur moyenne pour l’ours de grandeur moyenne, 12 et une petite assiette et une petite cuillère pour le petit ours.
There were also three plates and three spoons: a big plate and a big spoon for the big bear, a plate of medium size and a spoon of middle size for the bear of medium size, [12] and a little plate and a little spoon for the little bear.
Un jour le grand ours dit de sa grande voix : “J’ai faim.”
One day the big bear said with his big voice, “I am hungry.”
“Oui,” dit l’ours de grandeur moyenne de sa voix de grandeur moyenne, “J’ai faim.”
“Yes,” said the bear of medium size with her voice of medium size, “I am hungry.”
Et le petit ours dit de sa petite voix : “Oui, oui, j’ai faim.”
And the little bear said with his little voice, “Yes, yes, I am hungry.”
Les trois ours firent la soup.
The three bears made soup.
Alors ils versèrent la soupe dans les trois assiettes.
Then they poured the soup into the three plates.
Ils versèrent une grande portion dans la grande assiette pour le grand ours.
They poured a big portion into the big plate for the big bear.
Ils versèrent une portion de grandeur moyenne dans l’assiette de grandeur moyenne pour l’ours de grandeur moyenne, et une petite portion dans la petite assiette pour le petit ours.
They poured a portion of medium size into the plate of medium size for the bear of medium size, and a little portion into the little plate for the little bear.
Alors le grand ours prit la grande cuillère, goûta la soupe et dit : “:a soupe est trop chaude.”
Then the big bear took his big spoon, and he tasted the soup and he said, “The soup is too hot.”
L’ours de grandeur moyenne prit la cuillère de grandeur moyenne, goûta la soupe et dit : “Oui, la soupe est trop chaude,” et le petit ours prit la petite cuillère, goûta la soupe et dit : “Oui, oui, la soupe est trop chaude.”
The bear of medium size took the spoon of medium size, she tasted the soup and she said, “Yes, the soup is too hot,” and the little bear took the little spoon, he tasted the soup and he said, “Yes, yes, the soup is too hot.”
Alors le grand ours dit : “Allons nous promener dans la forêt.”
Then the big bear said: “Let us go take a walk in the forest.
“Oui,” dit l’ours de grandeur moyenne, “allons nous promener dans la forêt,” et le petit ours dit : “Oui, oui, allons nous promener dans la forêt.”
“Yes,” said the bear of medium size, “let us go take a walk in the forest;” and the little bear said, “Yes, yes, let us go take a walk in the forest.”
Les trois ours partirent.
The three bears left.
Ils laissèrent la porte de la maison ouverte, et la soupe sur la table.
They left the door to the house open, and the soup on the table.
Une petite 13 fille passa.
A little girl [13] passed.
Elle vit la petite maison, elle vit la porte ouverte, et elle vit la soupe sur la table.
She saw the little house, she saw the open door, and she saw the soup on the table.
Elle dit : “J’ai faim,” et elle entra dans la maison.
She said, “I am hungry,” and she entered into the house.
Elle prit la grande cuillère, goûta la soupe dans la grande assiette, et dit : “Cette soupe est trop chaude.”
She took the big spoon, she tasted the soup in the big plate, and she said, “This soup is too hot.”
Alors elle prit la cuillère de grandeur moyenne, goûta la soupe dans l’assiette de grandeur moyenne, et dit : “Cette soupe est trop froide.”
Then she took the spoon of medium size, she tasted the soup in the plate of medium size, and she said, “This soup is too cold.”
Alors elle prit la petite cuillère, goûta la soupe dans la petite assiette, et dit : “Cette soupe est excellente.” La petite fille mangea toute la soupe.
Then she took the little spoon, she tasted the soup in the little plate, and she said, “This soup is excellent.” The little girl ate all the soup.
Alors la petite fille dit : “Je suis fatiguée, oû y a-t-il une chaise?”
Then the little girl said, “I am tired, where is there a chair?”
Elle vit les trois chaises.
She saw the three chairs.
Elle alla à la grande chaise, s’assit, et dit : “Cette chaise n’est pas confortable.”
She went to the big chair, she sat down, and she said, “This chair is not comfortable.”
Elle alla à la chaise de grandeur moyenne, s’assit, et dit : “Cette chaise n’est pas confortable.”
She went to the chair of medium size, she sat down, and she said, “This chair is not comfortable.”
Alors elle alla à la petite chaise, s’assit, et dit : “Cette chaise est très confortable.”
Then she went to the little chair, she sat down, and she said, “This chair is very comfortable.”
Alors la petite fille sauta de joie et la chaise se cassa !
Then the little girl jumped with joy and the chair broke!
La petite fille dit : “J’ai sommeil, où y a-t-il un lit?”
The little girl said, “I am sleepy, where is there a bed?”
Elle vit les trois lits.
She saw the three beds.
Elle alla au grand lit, se coucha, et dit : “Ce lit n’est pas confortable.”
She went to the big bed, she lay down, and she said, “This bed is not comfortable.
Elle alla au lit de grandeur moyenne, se coucha, et dit : “Ce lit n’est pas confortable.”
She went to the bed of medium size, she lay down, and she said, “This bed is not comfortable.”
Alors elle alla au petit lit, se coucha, et dit : “Ce lit est très confortable,” et la petite fille s’endormit.
Then she went to the little bed, she lay down, and she said, “This bed is very comfortable,” and the little girl fell asleep.
Quelques minutes après les trois ours arrivèrent.
A few minutes after the three bears arrived.
Le grand ours regarda sa grande cuillère et sa grande 14 assiette, et dit de sa grande voix : “Quelqu’un est entré et a goûté ma soupe.”
The big bear looked at his big spoon and his big [14] plate, and he said with his big voice, “Someone has entered and has tasted my soup.”
L’ours de grandeur moyenne regarda sa cuillère de grandeur moyenne et son assiette de grandeur moyenne, et dit de sa voix de grandeur moyenne : “Oui, quelqu’un est entré et a goûté ma soupe,” et le petit ours regarda sa petite cuillère et sa petite assiette, et dit de sa petite voix : “Oui, oui, quelqu’un est entré et a mangé toute ma soupe.”
The bear of medium size looked at her spoon of medium size and her plate of medium size, and she said with her voice of medium size, “Yes, someone has entered and has tasted my soup,” and the little bear looked at his little spoon and his little plate, and he said with his little voice, “Yes, yes, someone has entered and has eaten all my soup.”
Le grand ours regarda sa grande chaise et dit de sa grande voix : “Quelqu’un est entré et s’est assis sur ma chaise.”
The big bear looked at his big chair and he said with his big voice, “Someone has entered and has sat down on my chair.”
L’ours de grandeur moyenne regarda sa chaise de grandeur moyenne, et dit de sa voix de grandeur moyenne : “Oui, quelqu’un est entré et s’est assis sur ma chaise.”
The bear of medium size looked at her chair of medium size, and she said with her voice of medium size, “Yes, someone has entered and has sat down on my chair.”
Et le petit ours regarda sa petite chaise, et dit de sa petite voix : “Oui, oui, quelqu’un est entré et a cassé ma petite chaise.”
And the little bear looked at his little chair, and he said with his little voice, “Yes, yes, someone has entered and has broken my little chair.”
Alors le grand ours regarda son grand lit et dit de sa grande voix : “Quelqu’un est entré et s’est couché sur mon grand lit.”
Then the big bear looked at his big bed and he said with his big voice, “Someone has entered and has lain down on my big bed.”
L’ours de grandeur moyenne regarda son lit de grandeur moyenne, et dit de sa voix de grandeur moyenne : “Oui, quelqu’un est entré et s’est couché sur mon lit de grandeur moyenne.”
The bear of medium size looked at her bed of medium size, and she said with her voice of medium size, “Yes, someone has entered and has lain down on my big bed.
Et le petit ours regarda son petit lit, et dit de sa petite voix : “Oui, oui, une petite fille est couchée sur mon petit lit.”
And the little bear looked at his little bed, and he said with his little voice, “Yes, yes, a little girl has lain down on my little bed.”
Les trois ours est s’approchèrent : “Oh !” dit le grand ours, “cette petite fille est jolie.”
The three bears had drawn near, “Oh!” said the big bear, “this little girl is pretty.”
L’ours de grandeur 15 moyenne dit : “Oh, oui, cette petite fille est jolie,” et le petit ours dit : “Oh ! Oui, oui, cette petite fille est très jolie.”
The bear of medium [15] size said, “Oh, yes, this little girl is pretty,” and the little bear said, “Oh! Yes, yes, this little girl is very pretty.”
A cet instant la petite fille se réveilla.
At that instant the little girl woke up.
Elle vit le grand ours, l’ours de grandeur moyenne, et le petit ours.
She saw the big bear, the bear of medium size, and the little bear.
Elle dit : “Oh ! J’ai peur,” et elle sauta du lit et partit vite, vite! “Oh !” dit le grand ours de sa grande voix : “La petite fille a peur.”
She said, “Oh! I am afraid,” and she jumped from the bed and departed quickly, quickly! “Oh! said the big bear with his big voice, “The little girl is afraid.”
“Oui,” dit l’ours de grandeur moyenne, “la petite fille a peur.”
“Yes, said the bear of medium size, “the little girl is afraid.”
Et le petit ours dit : “Oui, oui, elle a peur.”
And the little bear said, “Yes, yes, she is afraid.”
La petite fille ne visita plus jamais la maison des ours.
The little girl never more visited the house of the bears.
1 The original of this story is the common English nursery tale, “The Three Bears and Little Silver Hair.”