From Tales and Legends, 1st Part, by H. A. Guerber; New York: American Book Company; 1895; pp. 15-23.
[Translator’s Note — This is a new translation by a novice, any corrections are very welcome. It is designed to be fairly precise, for beginning students, in either language.
For comparison, you can see the French Text pagewith 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 a line-by-line translation from the French to the English, which might help somebody. — S. R.]
The Four Seasons.1
THERE was, once upon a time, a little girl. This little girl dwelled in a pretty house with her mother and her sister. The little girl, Claire, was good and very pretty. The sister of the little girl, Laura, was wicked and ugly. The mother was also wicked and ugly. The mother loved Laura, but she did not love Claire.
One day the wicked girl said to her mother, “My mother, send Clair to the forest to gather some violets.” The mother replied, “Some violets, in this season!” [16] That is impossible, my daughter, in the forest there is only some snow and some ice.”
But the wicked girl insisted, and the mother said to Claire, “Go to the forest to gather a bouquet of violets for your sister.” Claire looked at her mother with surprise, and replied, “My mother, that is impossible! In this season there is only some snow and some ice in the forest.” But the mother insisted, and poor Claire departed.
She went to the forest, she searched for the violets, and she found only some snow and some ice. The poor girl said, “I am cold, where is there some fire?” She looked to the right, she looked to the left, and she saw a great fire at a great distance. She went to this fire, and she saw twelve men seated around the fire.
Three men had some long white beards and some long white robes; three men had some long blonde beards and some long green robes; three men had some long brown beards and some long yellow robes, and three men had some long black beards and some long purple robes.
The little girl approached in silence, and she saw that one of the men with a white beard had a staff in his hand. This man turned and said, “Little girl, what are you searching for in the forest?” The little girl replied, “Sir, I am looking for some violets.” The man with the white beard said, “My poor little girl, this is not the season of the violets, this is the season of the snow and of the ice.” “Yes,” said the little girl, “but my [17] Mother said, ‘Go to the forest to cut a bouquet of violets for your sister,’ and I am forced to obey.”
The man with the white beard looked at the little girl an instant and said, “Warm yourself, my poor child!” Then he took his staff, and turned to one of the men with a blonde beard, he gave him the staff and said, “Brother May, her violets are your business. Will you help this little girl?”
“Certainly,” replied Brother May. He took the staff and kindled the fire. In an instant the ice disappeared, and the snow as well. The little girl was not cold, she was hot. An instant after she saw that the grass was green, and soon she saw a lot of violets in the grass.
Then Brother May turned towards her and he said, “My dear little girl, gather a bouquet of violets, as quickly as possible and go!” The little girl gathered a bouquet of violets, she said, “Thank you, my good Sir May,” and departed.”
Brother May gave the staff to the man with the white beard, he kindled the fire, and in an instant the violets and the grass had disappeared, and the ice and the snow were there like before.
The little girl went to the house and knocked at the door. The mother opened the door and said, “Have you the violets?” “Yes, my mother,” replied Claire, and she gave the violets to her mother. “Where have you found these violets?” said the mother. “In the forest,” replied [18] Claire, “there were a lot of violets in the grass.” Claire’s mother was very surprised, but she said nothing.
The next day the wicked daughter said to her mother, “My mother, send Claire to the forest to gather some strawberries.” “Some strawberries, in this season, that is not possible, my daughter,” replied the mother. But Laura insisted, and the mother said to Claire, “Go to the forest to gather some strawberries for your sister.” Claire looked at her mother with surprise, and she said, “My mother, that is impossible! In this season there is only some ice and some snow in the forest but not some strawberries.” But the mother insisted, and poor Claire departed.
She went to the forest, she searched for the strawberries, and she found only some snow and some ice. The poor girl said, “I’m cold! Where is there some fire?” She looked to the right and to the left, and she saw a fire at a great distance. She drew near to this fire and she saw the twelve men.
Three men had some white beards and some white robes, three men had some blonde beards and some green robes, three men had some brown beards and some yellow robes, and three men had some black beards and some black robes.
The little girl drew near and said to the man with the white beard who had a staff in his hand, “Sir, I am cold, will you permit me to warm myself at your fire?” “Certainly,” replied the man. “My child, what are you seeking in the forest in this season?” [19] “Some strawberries, sir.” “Some strawberries,” repeated the man with surprise, “this isn’t the season of the strawberries. This is the season of the ice and of the snow.” The little girl replied, ‘My mother has said, ‘Go to the forest to gather some strawberries for your sister,’ and I am forced to obey.”
Then the man with the white beard gave his staff to one of the men with a brown beard, and said, “Brother June, the strawberries are your affair. Are you willing to help this little girl?”
“With the greatest pleasure,” replied Brother June. He took the staff and kindled the fire. In an instant all the snow and all the ice had disappeared. The little girl was not cold, she was hot. She saw the green grass, and a few minutes afterwards she saw a lot of strawberries in the grass.
Then Brother June turned towards her and he said, “My dear little girl, gather your strawberries, quickly, quickly, and go!” The little girl gathered the strawberries, she said, “Thank you, my good Sir June,” and she departed.
Brother June gave the staff to Brother January. He kindled the fire and in an instant the strawberries had disappeared, and the snow and the ice were there like before.
The little girl returned to the house and knocked at the door. The mother opened the door, and asked, “Where are the strawberries?” Claire gave the strawberries to her mother. “Where have you found these strawberries?” asked the mother. “In the forest,” replied the little girl, “there were [20] a lot of strawberries in the grass.” The mother was very surprised. She gave the strawberries to the wicked daughter, who ate them all.
The next day the wicked girl said to her mother, “My mother, send Claire to the forest to gather some apples.” The mother said, “My girl, there are not any apples in the forest in this season.” But the wicked girl insisted, and the mother said to Claire, “My daughter, go into the forest to gather some apples for your sister.” Claire looked at her mother with surprise, and she said, “But, my mother, there are no apples in the forest in this season.” The mother insisted, and Claire departed.
She looked to the right and to the left, but she did not find any apples. She was cold, and she said, “Where is there some fire?” In an instant she saw the same fire and the same men.
She approached and she said to the man with the white beard who had the staff in his hand, “My good sir, will you allow me to warm myself at your fire?” The man replied, “Certainly, my poor child, what are you looking for in the forest in this season?” “I seek some apples, sir.” “This is the season of the snow and the ice, my poor child, this is not the season of the apples.”
“Yes sir, but my mother has said, ‘Go look for some apples,’ and I am forced to obey,” said Claire.
Then the man with the white beard took his staff, he turned towards a man with a black beard and he said, [21] “Brother September, the apples are your affair. Will you help this poor little girl?”
“Certainly,” replied Brother September. He took the staff, kindled the fire, and in an instant the little girl saw an apple tree, all covered with apples. Then Brother September turned towards the little girl, and he said, “My dear little girl, gather two apples, quickly, quickly, and depart!” The little girl gathered two apples, she said, “Thank you, my good sir,” and departed.
Brother September gave the staff to Father January, who kindled the fire, and in that instant, the apple tree disappeared, and the red apples also, and the snow and the ice were there as before.
The little girl returned to the house, she knocked at the door. The mother opened the door and she asked, “Have you the apples?” “Yes, my mother,” replied the little girl. She gave the apples to her mother and went into the house. The mother gave the apples to the wicked daughter. The bad girl age both the two apples, and demanded of Claire, “My sister, where have you found these big red apples?” “In the forest, there was an apple tree covered with red apples,” replied Claire.
The wicked girl said to her mother the next day, “My mother, give me my cloak and my hood. I am going to the forest to gather a lot of violets, strawberries and apples.” The mother gave the cloak and the hood to Laure, who departed.
[22]She went into the forest, she saw some ice and some snow, but she did not see any violets. She did not see any strawberries, and she did not see any apples. She looked to the right, she looked to the left, in vain. Then she said, “I am cold, where is there some fire?” She looked to the right and to the left, and she saw the great fire and the twelve men, seated in silence around the fire.
Laura drew near, and the man who had the staff said, “My child, what are you looking for in the forest in this season?” “Nothing,” said the wicked girl, who was also very impolite.
Brother January took his staff, kindled the fire, and in an instant the snow began to fall. The wicked girl departed in order to go to the house, but on the way she fell into the snow and she perished.
The mother said, “Where is Laura?” A moment afterwards the mother took her cape and her hood and departed in order to search for Laura. She looked in the forest, she arrived also at the fire and she saw the twelve men.
Brother January said, “My good woman, what are you seeking in the forest in this season?” “Nothing,” replied the mother, who was also impolite.
Brother January took his baton, kindled the fire, and in a moment the snow started to fall. The mother departed in order to go to the house, but in route she fell into the snow and perished also.
The good girl was alone in the house, but twelve times a year she receives a visit from one of the twelve men. [23] December, January, and February bring some snow and some ice; March, April, and May bring some violets; June, July and August, bring some little fruits, and September, October, and November bring many apples. The little girl is always very polite, and the twelve months are her good friends.
1 This is one of the most popular of the Bohemian folk stories. It has been translated into many languages, and an elaborate version of it can be found in Laboulaye’s “Fairy Book.”