Why don’t duck’s quacks echo?

Have you ever heard an echo from a duck’s quack? Don’t worry, nobody has ever heard this sound. Why? People have different opinions. One group thinks it is a myth, while another group believes in the scientific explanation and the third group wants to prove that the duck’s quack does have an echo.

According to the first group, there was a nymph in Ancient Greece who was in charge to create the echos but when the “quack” of a duck came, this sound hurt her ears and she refused to reproduce this sound. That’s why, according to the first group of people, the duck’s quack doesn’t have echo.

The second group justifies that the duck’s quack does have an echo but we can’t hear it. A “quack” is formed by a lot of mini-quacks. The mini-quacks, which leave the duck meet the mini-quacks, which come back and at the end, the leaving quacks mix up with the coming-back quacks. That’s why we can’t hear a quack’s echo.

The last group tries to convince us that every sound has an echo. They hide their explanation saying that the duck’s quack isn’t loud enough to create an echo. The absence of echo is possible only if there is no atmosphere, like in space so, the duck’s quack must have an echo. They also add that ducks live in plains and nothing is there to throw their quacks back.

Finally, why don’t duck’s quacks echo? Nobody really knows. Everybody has a different explanation or even a non-explanation or just theories. The only thing you have to do now is to find your own explanation, bringing a duck into an echo place.

Written on April 2011, the 25th.

Picture Credits : Donald Duck, ©Disney

How to put your foot in your mouth

It is always funny when it happens to others but, what about when it happens to you? Do you prefer to make mistakes about words or about situations? Don’t choose: succeed in both ways. It does not look comfortable to make mistakes when you are speaking but it can have good repercussions for you.

First, it does not matter which language you speak, but do not mix the languages. During a presentation of your fashion work to your teacher, it is the perfect time to use the wrong word, especially if it is embarrassing. You are explaining that jellyfish inspired you and it is a slip of your tongue when you explain that the lines on the skirts are a representation of jellyfish’s testicle, instead of tentacle, of course.

Then, I want to say that learning a language is not always an easy thing; words are mixing in your head and the meaning sometimes get away from you. In that case, situations might be funny. Ask to your host dad if he wants garbage for dinner tonight is not the right thing to do, especially if he wanted cabbage.

Words are still mixing in your head, but the conjugation does not. That’s why, filling a paper to explain what happened to you can be a comical situation. Instead of writing “I slipped on the ice”, you wrote “I slept on the ice”, what you meant is not what you wrote.

I blame complicated and scientific words. You need this word: osteopath, but the only word that is in your mind is duck-billed platypus. So, proudly, you say to your dad; “yes, my physical therapist is also a duck-billed platypus.”

     Mixing words is often funny but saying the wrong thing in the wrong situation is always embarrassing. Hopefully, Love fixes everything. It is dinnertime and you arrive in the kitchen. On a table for 6 people, there are seven plates. You tell your mom that there is not enough room for everyone, your grandmother does not miss to notice that it is because she is here.

     Express yourself! Don’t be shy! Become angry against old people who do their grocery shopping on Saturdays and complain about the crowd whereas they have the whole week to do it. This same grandmother is happy to participate to the debate, saying that she always does her grocery shopping on Saturdays.

     You cannot be more embarrassed when it happens in class. Read a text and something bothers you, you do not understand why the author compared this fashion designer to a crazy and deaf character. You try to go beyond these character traits but your mind is stuck on the character’s deafness. So, you dare to ask your teacher “Why does the author compare the fashion designer to Professeur Tournesol? Is she deaf?” Then, your teacher collapses with laughter until he cries.

In spite of all these blunders, your honesty and natural are charming. Do not have a touchy entourage and everything will do great. It is also a way to eliminate people with who you cannot be friend. This character trait, speaking without thinking, makes you as a spontaneous person. This frankness might be liked by a lot of people. By the way, your hands on your mouth or your cheeks becoming red when you just realize what you said, it is cute; and, just for that, people forgive you.

            To conclude, putting your foot in your mouth is not such a bad thing. Most of the time, it provokes general laughter. Your muddle thoughts create great memories and good stories to tell. Finally, let words and sounds mix in your head, a blunder can wake up an audience and what you have to say can be remembered maybe more easily. According to scientists, laugher is good for health so, let people laugh at the expense of you.

Written on April 2011, the 4th.

Kiss

A kiss on your hair,

I want to be fair.

But I can’t because of you,

I always miss you.

A kiss on your forehead,

Because you’re always in my head,

And I want to protect you,

You know how I like you.

A kiss on your ear,

Together, my dear,

You can feel my heart beating,

Because you’re next to me, drawing.

A kiss on your neck,

I have the feeling to be a wreck,

You are the only one who does it to me,

With you, I feel like a candy.

A kiss on your cheek,

It is not a defeat,

I want to be your friend,

I have plenty of love to send.

A kiss on your lips,

My hands on your hips,

We are living our dream,

For me, forever you gleam.

Dance, little princess

Dance, little princess,

Dance, be fearless.

Dance, go where you want to,

Dance, the star is you.

Dance, your steps will bring you somewhere,

Dance, it doesn’t matter where,

Dance, feel it until the tip of your fingers,

Dance, reach the most famous dancers.

Written on March 2011, the 25th

Picture Credits: Cynthia Gregory portrait, Children's Ballet Company, 1953, Bob Willoughby

Danse, petite princesse,

Danse, soit sans peur.

Danse, va où tu veux,

Danse, l'étoile c'est toi.

Danse, tes pas t'emmèneront quelque part,

Danse, peu importe où,

Danse, ressens le jusqu'au bout de tes doigts,

Danse, atteins les plus célèbres danseurs.

Ecrit le 25 mars 2011. Traduit le 5 juin 2011.

Crédits image: Cynthia Gregory portrait, Children's Ballet Company, 1953, Bob Willoughby

Stereotypes

No, we don’t eat frogs,

But we have the best cuisine in the world.

No, all the French are not romantic,

But Paris is the most romantic destination in the world.

No, we are not frivolous,

But we like love.

No, we are not snob, neither narcissist,

But we have a lot of things to say about our country.

No, we do take bath,

But we like perfumes.

No, we don’t wear beret,

But France is still the country for fashion and good taste.

No, we are not always in strike,

But there is always someone striking.

No, it is not because we don’t smile that we are not friendly,

But we need time to know and appreciate people.

No, we do speak English,

But ask us in French.

Written on March 2011, the 21st.

Picture Credits : Paris at Night, the Seine river and the Eiffel Tower.

Untitled (Angry)

What did I do?

What’s wrong with you?

I never know who I am going to see each day!

How can it work today?

You are not in the right place!

You are always in my space!

What changed in you?

Why did I love you?

I never knew.

I never went to you.

You can’t love me!

You are not the guy with who I want to be.

How can you say that?

I told you what was in my heart.

I am the man you need,

Everybody agreed.

My love is not for you

No matter what you will do

I will never be yours

So, please, do not start wars.

You are pretty.

I don’t want your pity.

You are the one I want

For you, I will be elegant.

I don’t care about what you promise,

I don’t want to live like an actress.

I will never trust you,

And I don’t want to argue.

If you don’t want me, if you don’t love me,

I can’t stay with you, baby

I have to bid you adieu

Forever, I will love you.

Written on March 2011, the 21st

Doing whatever it takes to get what she wants

In this big city, grey was everywhere. Streets were grey. Buildings were grey. Cars were grey. People were dressed in grey. However, in this grey world, there was a touch of red. A little girl fell in love with red. Dressed in red in this grey city, she looked like Little Red Riding Hood in the dark forest.

She could see her balloon on the top of the building. She was playing with her balloon when it blew away. She was too little to catch it but also too pretentious to ask for help. She went to the main door of the building and started type some codes on the digital access lock. She began it calmly but, after some tries, she became angry. At this moment, she looked like a quick-tempered little girl. So, she tried to get into the building in another way. She knocked at the door louder and louder. She was knocking at the door so strongly that passers-by were thinking that she would break the door despite her little size and being seven years old.

Finally, someone got out of the building, and she ran inside. She ran in the stairs, she had to reach the roof where her balloon was stuck. She had to hide when she was going upstairs. A Little Red Riding Hood in a business building is not the right place she should be. Fortunately, she was little and people were so bored at work that they looked like sleepwalkers. Some workers even saw her. When they called her, she ran faster and vanished in a corridor or in the stairs. She finally reached the roof of the building. She pushed the door and she could see it, her balloon, just in front of her. It was really close to the side of the building.

The little girl went close to her red balloon. She stretched her arm out, trying to reach her balloon. At this moment, she hated herself for being just seven. She would like to be older to have longer arms, legs and body to reach whatever she wanted. And, now, she wanted her balloon. After trying, she looked around. On the roof, there were a lot of things, useless things. She found a stick and went back to her balloon, which was still stuck. She wound the balloon string around the stick. The Little Red Riding Hood of the city finally had her balloon. She held it in her arms, happy to have found her toy of the day.

The whole day, there was a Little Red Riding Hood in the grey city. She didn’t bring a plain round flat cake and a little container of butter to her grandmother, but she ran in the city with her red balloon running behind her, at the end of the string.

Written on March 2011, the 7th.

Picture Credits : Jnk Photography - A Girl and her red balloon

A character exploded / Un personnage explose

I had been invited in my friend’s apartment. I liked her apartment. She was living in a apartment complex. There was a swimming pool in the middle of the buildings. Everyone who lived in this apartment complex can use the swimming pool. She was living in the third floor. When I entered in her apartment, there was a big living room, in front of the door. The kitchen was in the corner, next to the front door. This kitchen looked so small in comparison with the living room. Some people had already been there. They were sat on the couch, chairs, and pouffes arranged in a U shape, in front of the hall-door. I looked at these people, I had fallen out with a lot of them. They were speaking quite loudly and laughing. I greeted my friend, she was putting pizzas in the oven and others were already out. I could smell the tomato sauce and the cheese from the pizzas. I helped her to cut them and brought it on the table. When I put it on the table, smells from the crackers came to me with smells of alcohol. Vodka, white wine, Martini, Manzana, Coke, I could smell everything thanks to my current job as a barman. I didn’t know if people around the coffee table had noticed me; it didn’t matter, I wasn’t in good relationships with them.

I took a drink and sat on an empty chair. This night was the night, the night when I would see her again. She left the area one year ago and, even if I had have her at the phone when she was away, I missed her. Finally, she arrived at the party in a beautiful light blue dress. This shape of dress was really nice on her. It was tight on her chest and flared on the bottom. I was used to calling this type of dress Alice’s dresses because of Alice in Wonderland. These dresses were the ones that they fit her the best. She kept her long blond hair and her angel face.

I missed her so much. She said hello to some people before jumping in my arms. I hugged her for a while. I could smell her perfume that I missed. I would like our embrace would never end. I squeezed her, I would like to show her how much I missed her. She finally whispered in my ear that she had to say hello to everyone. She left me and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was still as pretty as I had left her, maybe more beautiful. Her smile was on her face while she was greeting everybody, one by one. Her smile was communicable; I was smiling just seeing her smiling. Then, I saw him and my smile vanished.

He stood up with a smile and placed in front of her. Her lovely smile disappeared. I looked at the scene with a bad look. I knew what happened between them. He was deeply in love of her but she wasn’t. She became sick because of him. She lost everything which was important to her. He had destroyed her and he didn’t even have noticed it.

She looked at him with a bad look. She froze in front of him. She threatened him in a murmur.

- If you touch me…

He looked surprised and he clearly didn’t expect this reaction. It seemed like he couldn’t remember what he did to her. Then, everything happened so fast. He tried to catch her hand. She didn’t let him and pushed him. He didn’t expect that and he fell on the floor. At this moment, everything stopped. Everybody stopped talking. The only sounds that we could hear were the sound from the oven and voices and music from other apartments of the complex. I ran to her.

- Are you ok? She answered me whispering.

- I think I should go. We held our hands and ran away for the party. When we were out, she sent a text to our host to apologize. I never saw her like that. She had always been calm, a non-violent person. I had the feeling to rediscover her but I liked the new her. I’m still thinking that he deserved it. Compared with what he did to her, threaten and push him was nothing.

Written on March 2011, the 4th.

Picture Credits : I Want to Hold your Hand by Robert-Photo

J'avais été invité chez mon amie. J'aimais son appartement. Elle vivait dans une résidence. Il y avait une piscine au milieu des immeubles. Tous ceux qui vivaient dans la résidence pouvaient utiliser la piscine. Mon amie vivait au troisième étage. Lorsque j'entrai dans son appartement, il y avait un grand salon, en face de la porte d'entrée. La cuisine était dans le coin, à côté de la porte d'entrée. Cette cuisine semblait si petite en comparaison avec le salon. Quelques personnes étaient déjà là. Ils étaient assis sur les canapés, chaises et poufs mis en U, en face de l'entrée. J'ai regardé ces personnes, je m'étais fâché avec beaucoup d'entre-eux. Ils parlaient assez fort et riaient. Je saluai mon amie, elle mettait les pizzas au four et d'autres étaient déjà en dehors. Je pouvais sentir l'odeur de la sauce tomate et du fromage des pizzas. Je l'aidai à les couper et les apportai sur la table. Lorsque je les posai sur la table, l'odeur des biscuits apéritifs m'arriva avec les odeurs de l'alcool. Vodka, vin blanc, Martini, Manzanna, Coca-Cola, je pouvais sentir tout grâce à mon travail actuel comme barman. Je ne savais pas si les personnes autour de la table basse m'avaient remarqué; ça n'avait pas d'importance, je n'étais pas en bons termes avec eux.

Je pris un verre et m'assis sur une chaise libre. Ce soir était le soir, le soir où j'allais la revoir. Elle avait quitté la région un an auparavant et, même si je l'avais eu au téléphone lorsqu'elle était ailleurs, elle me manquait. Enfin, elle arriva à la fête dans une jolie robe bleu clair. La coupe de cette robe était très belle sur elle. La robe était serrée sur son buste et évasée sur le bas. J'étais habitué à appeler ce type de robe des robes d'Alice à cause de Alice au pays des merveilles. Ces robes étaient celles qui lui allaient le mieux. Elle avait gardé ses longs cheveux blonds et son visage d'ange.

Elle m'avait tellement manqué. Elle dit bonjour à quelques personnes avant de me sauter dans les bras. Je la pris dans mes bras un moment. Je pouvais sentir son parfum qui m'avait manqué. Je voulais que cette accolade ne termine jamais. Je la serrais, je voulais lui montrer combien elle m'avait manqué. Finalement, elle chuchota à mon oreille qu'elle avait à dire bonjour à tout le monde. Elle me quitta et je ne pouvais détacher mes yeux d'elle. Elle était toujours aussi jolie que lorsque je l'eus quitté, peut-être encore plus belle. Un sourire était sur son visage pendant qu'elle saluait tout le monde, un par un. Son sourire était communicatif; je souriais juste à la regarder sourire. Puis, je le vis et mon sourire s'évanouit.

Il se leva avec un sourire et se plaça face à elle. Le sourire de mon amie disparu. Je regardais la scène d'un mauvais oeil. Je savais ce qu'il s'était passé entre eux. Il était profondément amoureux d'elle mais elle ne l'étais pas. Elle devint malade à cause de lui. Elle perdu tout ce qui était important à ses yeux. Il l'avait détruite et il ne s'en était même pas aperçu.

Elle le regarda avec un mauvais regard. Elle se tétanisa devant lui. Elle le menaça dans un murmure.

- Si tu me touches…

Il sembla surpris et il apparut clairement qu'il n'attendait pas cette réaction. Il semblait qu'il ne pouvait pas se rappeler de ce qu'il lui avait fait. Puis, tout est arrivé si vite. Il a essayé de prendre sa main. Elle ne l'a pas laissé faire et l'a poussé. Il ne s'attendait pas à ça et il tomba au sol. A ce moment, tout s'arrêta. Tout le monde s'arrêta de parler. Les seuls sons que l'on pouvait entendre étaient le son du four et les voix et la musique des autres appartements de la résidence. J'accourus à ses côtés.

- Ça va? Elle me répondu, murmurant.

- Je pense que je devrait y aller. Nous nous prîmes la main et nous échappâmes de la fête. Lorsque nous fûmes dehors, elle envoya un texto à notre hôte pour s'excuser. Je ne l'avais jamais vu ainsi. Elle avait toujours été calme, une personne non-violente. J'avais le sentiment de la redécouvrir mais j'aimais la nouvelle elle. Je pense toujours qu'il l'a mérité. Comparé à ce qu'il lui avait fait, le menacer et le pousser, ce n'était rien.

Ecrit le 4 mars 2011. Traduit le 20 mai 2011.

Crédits Image: I Want to Hold your Hand par Robert-Photo

A fight

In front of the door, there is the window with two white curtains in chiffon on each side. To the right of the window, there is a big desk, with a bookshelf put on it. Candles, stuffed animals, a stereo system, books, notebooks are on and in this bookshelf. On the wall, there is a modern painting in pink and silver, built with squares. Next to the desk there is a night table with a silver lamp that you need to touch its foot to turn it on or off. Next to it, there is a one-person bed in wood. At the feet of the bed, there is a little bookshelf in wood and wrought iron. In front of this bookshelf, there is another bookshelf, in white wood. On the top of the white bookshelf, there are two brown boxes in fabrics with fabrics inside too. On the following shelf, there are teddy bears. A lot of different stuffed animals are there; a turtle, some bears, some rabbits, and a few dolls. On the next shelf, DVDs are organized. Looking closely, DVDs from the left side are musicals. Under this shelf, there are prizes and ballerina statuettes. The two last shelves are full of books and folders.

The room is white with two horizontal pink lines on the top of the wall. This bedroom is really bright because of the sunlight which comes in. It smells incense, mixing with candle. There is also a smell of perfume, a sweet perfume. This perfume seems to describe the girl whom this room belongs to. It is light, fresh and young, full of energy. There is also a strange smell, hardly to smell, of bleach which is from the swimming pool, just behind the window.

No’ and Lily are lying on the bed, in the same position. No’’s head is at the head of the bed whereas Lily’s head is at the foot of the bed. No’ is using Lily’s computer and Lily is sewing. The two girls are talking like two sisters do. Sometimes, No’ shows something to Lily on the computer and asks her what she thinks about it. Lily does the same thing with her sewing work. This scene looks like usual. The two sisters are used to spending time together. Music is playing from the computer, sometimes cut by the line “Change this song, I don’t like it.”.

Suddenly, the door opens. The two sisters jump from surprise. They look at the door, their little sister is there.

- Where is my Nintendo DS! She screams. Lily and No’ look at each other with a questioning look. They have been in Lily’s room for a couple hours now, they have no idea where it could be.

- Give it back! I know you have it! The little sister still screams. Lily becomes upset and get up.

- Mel’, we don’t have it! So, stop accusing us! And stop yelling! Lily shouts.

- I know you have it! You stole it! I will tell Mom! The little girl starts crying. Lily becomes mad.

- I don’t have it! Neither No’! Lily pushes her little sister out of her room. Get out!!! Lily slams the door in her little sister’s face and comes back on the bed with No’. They hear Mel’ runs in the corridor, crying and yelling for their mother.

Later, Lily and No’ see their little sister, playing quietly with her Nintendo DS in the living room. The two older sisters look at each other, they don’t say anything but don’t think less. Their little sister will never apologize for the previous fight, but the two girls still love their sister and forgave her; she is little.

Written on February 2011, the 23rd

Picture Credits : No', Me and Léa

Shattered Innnocence

The suburb was quiet on that Sunday afternoon. Some cars were on the street, driving slowly as the signs recommend it. Some children were playing in the far-away streets of the neighborhood. In the front yard where Jim was playing, birds were twittering. Birds twittering mixed with Jim’s babbling in a delicate music.

Spring was there, the smell of grass circled the little boy playing outside. Flowers perfume was here too. Jim’s mother was watching her son by the window and she was baking cookies. The smell of fresh cookies went to Jim who knew it would be snack time soon.

Jim was outside, playing with Belle, the dog of the family. Belle was a medium-size dog and had short hair but long enough to be caught. Her two eyes were circled by black and she looked like a thief. The ends of her ears were black too, as she had dunked the end of her ears in a paint container. Her body was white except her front right leg which was black.

Jim was 18 months old. He inspired innocence with his blue eyes, so blue that it looked like water that it was possible to pass through. His light blond hair seems virginal. He was wearing a light blue onesie. His outfit was a little green because he was playing in the yard for a while.

Belle was the quietest dog that existed. She was lying on the grass while Jim was climbing on her and catching her hair. She didn’t move at all, letting Jim playing with her and discovering the world like a mother would do. Jim was sitting on her back, jumping like a baby does. He slipped and grabbed Belle’s hair in his fall. Then, Jim snuggled up against Belle, his head against her head. He pulled Belle’s ears and the dog let him do. Jim was playing with Belle’s chops when she saw a cat coming in the front yard. Belle growled at the intruder. Jim looked at Belle and was afraid by her face. He had never seen her like that. Frightened, Jim started crying. His mother got out of the house and picked up Jim. She chased away the cat. Jim was looking at Belle, frightened by what he saw. His look on his favorite playmate had change forever.

Written on Febuary 2011, the 14th

A song that reminds you of someone

When I hear YMCA from the Village People, it makes me think about my cousin. Each time we party together, we need this song! He makes fun of me because I can’t remember how to put my arms for the C. Each time it is the same thing: he has to teach me how to dance YMCA again. So, YMCA is our song and our dance. When we hear it, we just run to each other in order to dance to it, at least try to. This song became a synonym of joy and laughter for both of us.

We were at a family wedding. It was quite boring because we have a big family, and we didn’t know everyone. When the music started, we left the table for the dance floor, which was much more amazing! We danced, we didn’t care about people around us, and we just had fun! YMCA began and we started dancing. When the C arrived, I was confused because I didn’t know how to put my arms. My cousin started laughing at me and warned me a few times before every C.

Most of the time, I have fun with him. I remember a dinner with our two families in my aunt and uncle’s house. For dessert, we had waffles. Everyone took one and added what they wanted on it. I added Chantilly (whipped cream) on mine. My uncle was next to me and told me “This Chantilly smells strange, doesn’t it?” I didn’t think twice before acting and smelled the Chantilly on my waffle. My uncle pushed my waffle on my face and I had a lot of Chantilly all over my nose and my mouth. Everybody laughed, including me. So, now, each time we see each other, waffles are THE dessert.

When my cousin and his family vacationed at my house, waffles were one of our desserts. Another game was between my cousin and me. The last Harry Potter book had been out for only one day and we had it at home, but just one book. A competition began between my cousin and me about the reading of the Harry Potter book. It was always about the one who is the furthest in the book and who can grab the book first.

When I am listening to YMCA, I also think about last July. He lent me his Paris apartment in order for me to pick up my visa. He has a really small apartment, only one room using as kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom. He didn’t have a lot of decorations in his apartment, but there was one thing that really touched me. Once, we went to the movie theater when all the cousins were staying at my grandparents’ house. For fun, I signed his movie theater ticket with a stupid sentence. Imagine my surprise when I saw it in his apartment! The biggest presents aren’t the ones that count the most.

Written on January, the 31st

Video : YMCA by the Village People

Two baby elephants

The grass was dancing in the wind, and the smells blended together. The smell of the grass was mixed with the smell of the fruit which was in the orchard. Oranges, apples, peers, all these sweet smells were mixing, almost like a perfume.

In this dancing grass, there were two baby elephants dancing. Their steps seem to carry them. In spite of their weight, they were running as if they were flying. Their grey figures were playing on the top of the hill. They trumped to express their joy. One of them saw a pond of mud. He decided to jump in.

The little elephant became brown instead of his beautiful grey. He began to play in the mud, rolling in the mud. The other elephant, looking at his friend, jumped in the pond of mud too. The elephants splashed each other with mud with their trunk. If an elephant could laugh, it will be possible to hear this two babies laughing again and again. Their laughers could be heard from the other hills around.

One of the baby elephants became petrified when he saw his mom coming. The two baby elephants tried to hide in the mud, in a corner of the pond. They were covered by mud whereas their moms cleaned them couple hours ago.

It was then that the mother elephant jumped in the pond of mud where the two babies were. The baby elephants looked at each other, surprised about what just happen. Their eyes became big because of their surprise. The mother elephant has seen them and trumped to the babies to play with her. They played together and when they get out, everyone took a shower but they didn’t stop playing even in the water.

Written on January 2011, the 24th

Picture Credits : Disney's Winnie the Pooh

The Chopsticks Sisters

Once upon a time, there were two twin chopsticks sisters. They lived in a chest with other twin chopsticks. They weren’t the most beautiful chopsticks but they weren’t the ugliest chopsticks. They were purple, with a golden crown. There were pink azaleas drawn under their crown. Their house was a Chinese restaurant. The chest was in a corner it was in paint wood. Some butterflies were drawn on the chest. The restaurant was vast, with some columns in the middle. In this red and black atmosphere, there were twenty round tables, with red tablecloths. There were place mats with drawings and, on it, there were black plates to put chopsticks in.

The twin chopsticks sisters were always together. They were sleeping together, waiting for lunchtime. Lunchtime arrived and everything became very busy. The chest was open and close as one goes along people arrived to have lunch in the Chinese restaurant. In the rush, the two purple chopsticks were separated. One stayed in the chest. She began to look for her sister in the chest, shoving the other couple chopsticks.

“Ling! Where are you? Answer me!” cried Mao. There was so much noise that neither Ling nor Mao can hear each other. Mao looked for her sister all afternoon. She escaped from the chest and wandered in the restaurant to find her sister. She continued to call her sister in the restaurant. It was so hard to walk without being crashed by waitress and customers. Mao jumped to the window. Outside, it was Manhattan, a really busy place in New York City. Mao hid behind the curtains. She looked outside, thinking about her sister. Someone may have taken her, and now, Ling may be outside, alone. Mao started to cry. She felt alone without her sister, they were born together and they promised each other to stay together forever, until they die.

Lunchtime was ending and the purple chopstick was waiting for a safe place before leaving the restaurant. She wanted to go outside, to find her sister. She was sure Ling was outside, maybe lost in the big city. Of course, Mao was afraid to leave the restaurant for the first time. She grew up here with her sister. When the restaurant was silent, she left the window, wore a raincoat and took one for her sister. She breathed strongly before get out.

“Mao! What are you doing?” Mao turned back and saw her sister, Ling. She ran to her and they hugged each other.

“Ling! I was so worried! What happened to you? I was ready to get out, under the rain, to find you! I can’t live without you Ling!”

“I can’t live without you too, Mao!”

The twin sisters chopstick came back to their chest, with the other chopstick couples. They invented a lot of different way to stay together anyhow. They lived a lot of other adventures but it’s another story.

Written on December 2010, the 13th

Picture Credits : Internet

The Lion and the Ant

A Lion was making fun of an Ant. He asked her to lift a piece of gravel. The Ant succeeded. Then the Lion asked her to lift a stone as big as a walnut. She failed. The Lion laughed at her and tried to crush her. She ran to her house, promising herself she will revenge.

The following day, the Ant came with a friend. The Lion asked them to lift a stone as big as a walnut. The two aunts succeeded. Then the Lion asked them to lift a stone as big as an apple. They failed. The Lion laughed at them and tried to crush them. They ran to their house, promising their selves they will revenge.

The third day, the two ants came with a friend. The Lion asked them to lift a stone as big as an apple. The three aunts succeeded. Then the Lion asked them to lift a stone as big as a bowling ball. They failed. The Lion laughed at them and tried to crush them. They ran to their house, promising their selves they will revenge.

The next night, all the Ant’s family joined the Ant to have revenge. The Lion was sleeping and all the ants, together, lifted the Lion, without wake him up and threw him in the water. The Lion woke up and looked at all the ants. He regretted to have fun about the Ant and knew that all the ants were stronger than him.

In unity, there is strength.

Written on December 2010, the 12th

Picture Credits : Internet

The Two Apples

Two brothers were very poor. They walked from village to village, looking for something to eat, begging people for food. Once, they were walking between two towns when a fairy appeared. She told the two children.

“I know you’re hungry. I have two apples, each of you can have one.”

One apple was shiny and looked really appetizing. The other one was covered with mud and looked rotten. The older brother said to his little brother:

“I am the oldest, the beautiful apple is mine!” The little one tried to defend himself to have the beautiful apple too, but the oldest brother took it.

The two brothers had an apple now; the oldest had the beautiful apple whereas the little one had the muddy apple. The oldest brother bit into the apple but this one was rotten, eaten by worms. The little one removed the mud of the apple and discovered a golden apple. He went to the next city eagerly and sold his apple. He earned so much money that he wasn’t hungry one day of his life.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Writen on December 2010, the 8th

Picture Credits: Internet

My name is Lou, and I am a mouse, a little mouse, really cute. My fur is fair and goes perfectly with the pink of my ears. My hands are pink too, like my nose and my thin tail. My whiskers are always aware about what is happening around me and never stop moving. I have also two big dark eyes full of tenderness. If you see me, I’m sure you would fall in love with me. However, I am already in love with Ana. In spite of my small size, I have a lot to tell. Don’t think it’s because I’m small that I don’t live adventurously! Moreover, I have one to tell you. The heroine of this story is my lover Ana.

Ana and Rachel were roommates at college for three years. They were very close. Ana was studying languages and Rachel was fond of science. In spite of these differences, they shared a lot of things in common. They had decided to spend their summer together in Ana’s parents’ beach house, and I went with them. I was so happy to go there! It would be different than our college room!

It was a little house, and the back door opened onto the beach. The two girls used to spend their mornings on the sundeck, and walked down to the beach in the afternoons. The sundeck was made of wood, worn by the sea’s wind. The wood, which was brown, became grey. This grey went well with the blue of the house’s walls. Rachel and Ana shared Ana’s bedroom, which was in the back of the house. From the bedroom windows, I could see the ocean. From the windows, I often looked at Ana, lying on the beach and playing in the sea. Each night, I joined the girls to enjoy the sunset.

One day, Tom, Ana’s older brother, joined us in the little house. However, Ana was panic-stricken when she came back home and saw her brother. Indeed, he had a bruise on his left eye. She rushed to her brother.

“ Tom! What happened? Who did it?” Ana put her hands on her brother’s head to see his face more clearly. She didn’t stop asking questions.

“ Is it Julie? I told you! Julie isn’t a good girlfriend for you! She lied to you too many times! Did you go to the hospital?” Ana held Tom’s hand, and they left the kitchen. Ana grabbed her car keys.

“What are you doing, Ana? I’m fine!” Ana stopped and she looked at her brother.

“You’re not fine! Your eye is between blue and purple!” He put his hands on his little sister’s shoulders and said firmly:

“Ana, I’m fine. They will do nothing to me at the emergency room!” Ana became upset about her brother’s behavior and she went to her room.

At dinnertime, the three young people met in the kitchen. The dinner was quite tense. Ana was vexed because Tom didn’t want to follow Ana’s orders. Ana is stubborn, and she didn’t want to listen to her brother. The following day, the two girls did exactly the same thing as the previous days. They got a tan on the sundeck in the morning and went to play in the sea in the afternoon. This day, Rachel left Ana earlier than the previous day. Ana stayed on the beach, reading.

When Ana came back home, she saw her brother in the kitchen, his hand under the water. She rushed to him.

“What happened?” Tom had cut his finger. Ana took her brother’s finger in her hand. “How did you do that? Let me see!” Tom sighed and looked at Ana.

“I’m ok Ana, I will wear a Band-Aid and everything will be perfect.”

“No! Look, it’s deep! You need switches!”

“Ana, leave me alone! I know how to take care of myself! I told you that I’m ok!”

“What did you do to hurt yourself? Where were you today? I didn’t see you all day long!”

“I was out. Ana, I am older than you; I do what I want. I don’t have to tell you what I do!” Then, Tom left the kitchen, quite upset with his sister.

The following day, Rachel and Ana’s day was the same as the previous day; Rachel left Ana early in the afternoon and Ana spent the rest of her afternoon on the beach, alternating between reading and swimming. Like each day, Ana came back home when she was bored of being at the beach. This time, her brother was sitting on a chair in the kitchen and Rachel was pressing an ice bag on Tom’s head. Ana became furious, she yelled at her brother:

“What’s going on in your life? Why are you injured each time I come back home? Where do you spend your days? In Julie’s place, isn’t it? Did she throw something at you? Was it a plate? A vase? Speak to me! Tell me what happen!”

Rachel and Tom looked down and didn’t say anything. Ana, really upset, left the kitchen, slammed her bedroom door and locked it.

Tom and Rachel stayed in the kitchen and cooked the dinner. Ana was still in her bedroom. Rachel knocked on the door to ask Ana to come out for dinner. Rachel convinced Ana to have dinner with her brother and her friend. Ana sat at the table but she was still vexed and didn’t want to talk. The dinner’s atmosphere was oppressive. Rachel broke the silence.

“Actually, it’s me”, said Rachel. Ana and Tom stared at her. Rachel looked down and spoke to Ana.

“Remember, the afternoon when Tom arrived, I came back home while you were lying on the beach?” Rachel looked down again and continued to tell her story.

“I took a shower and I went back to the bedroom to dry my hair. I was facing the ocean, like we used to, Ana. I plugged in the hairdryer and started to dry my hair, looking at the sea. Tom wanted to come to see you as a surprise. He went to the room and tickled me like he used to with you, thinking I was you. I was afraid and, to defend myself, I hit him with the hairdryer.” A smile appeared on Ana’s face. Rachel continued.

“Because of the shock, he moved back. Then he caught his feet in the hairdryer’s cord and fell. Because I was still holding the hairdryer, I fell on him and hit him again in his eye with the hairdryer.” Rachel looked up at Tom.

“I didn’t do it on purpose the second time, I swear!” Ana began to laugh because she pictured the scene. I was there, and, even though I am a mouse, it was one of the funniest situations I have ever seen.

When Ana stopped laughing, she asked her friend and her brother why they didn’t tell her what happened.

“It was a really embarrassing situation” answered Tom, who was really embarrassed at this moment; his cheeks became red. Rachel looked down again when Tom was talking. Tom and Rachel went back to their plates, shameful, while Ana continued to think and laugh about the comical situation of her friend and her brother.

Then Ana looked at her brother’s finger.

“Ok, I understand why you have a bruise on your eye, Tom. But what happened to your finger? And your head this afternoon?” Neither Tom nor Rachel answered. Ana became angry.

“Tell me what happens! Both of you!” Rachel gave a look to Tom; she didn’t want to say anything. On the other hand, she didn’t want to be upset with her best friend.

“Tom…” begged Rachel. Ana stare at her friend and her brother, waiting for an answer.

“Actually, Rachel cut my finger and hit my head.”

“Rachel!” screamed Ana to her friend. Then, she talked to her brother. “How did she do that?”

“Don’t answer!” exclaimed Rachel to Ana’s brother. “You will spoil her surprise!” Tom sighed.

“Rachel, you just spoiled the surprise!” yelled Tom. Ana exclaimed:

“Which surprise guys? How did you hurt yourself Tom? Stop hiding things from me! Both of you!” Ana became like a little girl before Christmas, impatient. Tom sighed again and gave a look to Rachel.

“Ok. Let’s go!” Tom announced. Tom took his sister’s hand while Rachel covered her friend’s eyes. They went to the garden, next to the big tree. Rachel took her hand off of Ana’s eyes.

“And?” asked Ana. Neither Tom nor Rachel said anything, they just smiled and they looked up. Ana followed their eyes. In the tree, there was a wood shack. Ana was amazed by this little house in the tree branches. It was so beautiful and romantic! Ana looked at her friend and her brother.

“It’s for your birthday, Ana,” said Tom.

“Thank you!” exclaimed Ana. Then, she hugged the two young people. Rachel dared to speak.

“I cut your brother’s finger when we were sawing a plank. Sorry for that Tom. Sorry Ana.” Ana was smiling. She knew she was too overprotective of her brother.

“What happened to your head, Tom?” asked Ana. Rachel looked down and Tom smiled.

“Unfortunately, it’s still Rachel’s fault. She was holding a plank and she dropped it…on my head.” Rachel blushed. Ana looked at the shack, she was marveled by her friend and brother’s creation.

Tom dared to speak to break the silence.

“By the way, Ana, what you said about Julie wasn’t really nice!” Ana turned red; it was her turn to be shameful.

“I’m so sorry Tom, I didn’t think that, I…” Tom started to laugh.

“It’s OK Ana. I come here because I broke up with my girlfriend. Julie was unfaithful. And, you know what, Ana? You’re right, Julie wasn’t a good girlfriend for me, that’s why I left her.” Tom smiled at his sister and she smiled at him. They hugged each other.

The three vacationers spent a wonderful summer and laughed a lot about this hairdryer story, even me, Lou the mouse. Sometimes, I remember the scene of Tom, Rachel and the hairdryer and laugh until it hurts me. We spent a lot of time in the shack, it was a peaceful place and we looked at the stars during the night! We planed our life and made wishes when we saw shooting stars! This wonderful summer is one of the reasons I like to share Ana’s life. I lived adventures with this girl! And I’m sure I will live other amazing adventures with her soon!

Writen on December 2010, the 1st

Picture Credits : Internet