Le jour de son anniversaire, un petit garçon reçut une boîte de 25 soldats de plomb. L'un d'entre eux était un peu différent des autres car il n'avait qu'une seule jambe. Les soldats furent rangés sur une table, où il y avait beaucoup d'autres jouets. Le soldat de plomb qui n'avait qu'une jambe remarqua parmi eux une danseuse, qui se tenait gracieusement sur une seule jambe, et la croyant unijambiste comme lui, il pensa que ce jouet lui ferait une femme merveilleuse. Le soir, quand les gens de la maison furent couchés, tous les jouets se mirent à faire la fête. Le vaillant soldat de plomb restait immobile et fixait des yeux la danseuse. Minuit sonna alors et un diable en boîte s'ouvrit, qui se mit à avertir le soldat de plomb de ne pas la regarder. Mais le soldat continua à regarder la danseuse...
Les Habits neufs de l'empereur est un conte d'Hans Christian Andersen, paru la même année que La Petite Sirène, en 1837, et sans doute inspiré d'une histoire espagnole. Un roi vaniteux, n'aimant rien plus que les beaux habits, se voit promettre une étoffe à nulle autre pareille par deux escrocs. Lorsque ceux-ci la lui présentent, il ne voit rien, tout simplement parce qu'il n'y a pas d'étoffe ; mais il se tait car il ne veut pas passer pour un sot. Une chose en entraîne une autre, et lorsqu'il se retrouve à parader avec ses nouveaux habits, le peuple interloqué reste bouche bée... pour un temps. Ce conte célèbre permet une réflexion très forte sur la nécessité d'un esprit critique personnel, et des dangers du fait de s'en remettre aux autres de peur d'avoir tort. C'est aussi une occasion de prendre conscience des mécanismes psychologiques qui peuvent pousser à suivre sans discuter lorsqu'un groupe paraît unanime. Tout cela fait de ce conte un outil particulièrement utile pour le développement des jeunes enfants ; il est aussi à l'origine de l'expression "le roi est nu" dans un contexte de critique sociale, pour souligner des apparences trompeuses ou un manque de pouvoir inavoué.
Pas un enfant qui ne soit fasciné par les histoires d'horreur, qui leur permettent d'aborder les émotions intenses en restant dans le contrôle grâce à la métaphore. Cette sélection de contes classiques est conçue pour les aider à s'approprier les problématiques qu'ils ne manqueront pas de rencontrer tout en leur donnant les moyens de les aborder avec joie. Lus par Fabienne Prost, vous y trouverez le meilleur et le plus fascinant des contes de Grimm, Perraut et Andersen : Dame Trude, la sorcière ; Les trois cheveux d'or du diable ; Histoire de celui qui s'en alla apprendre la peur ; La Barbe-Bleue ; Le Crapaud ; Le Diable et sa grand'mère ; Le loup et les sept chevreaux ; Le petit chaperon rouge ; Le petit Poucet ; Le serpent blanc.
Louis VI was a warrior king, but at the end of his reign, his weight had become so great that it had become difficult for him to lead in the field - hence his nickname 'The Fat'. He was a strong and competent ruler, who managed to considerably reinforce his power in the kingdom, and largely contributed to the subsequent centralization of authority in France. Learn about his soar to power, his struggles with the 'robber barons', and his successes in alliances and coalitions.
This collection of 10 bedtime stories will help your child drift into a peaceful sleep, by concluding his day with delightful adventures, important teachings and symbolic imagery for enlightening dreams. Classic children's stories and fairy tales are an essential part of any kid's development. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon. This compilation, specially designed for small children, includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, and stories from the Arabian Nights, narrated in a warm and soothing way: The Story of Peter Pan, by James Barrie; The Elves and the Shoe Maker; The Princess and the Pea; The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids; Little Red Riding Hood; The Wolf and the Fox; The Frog Prince; The Ridiculous Wishes; and The Little Match Seller.
A good story takes us in a new, fantastic world; the pleasure is all the greater if it keeps us inside for long enough. We have carefully selected for you ten long stories, for you to enjoy the craft of the writer as much as the opportunity of evasion good stories bring to us; they will make perfect bedtime stories, to accompany young children as long as they need to get into a peaceful sleep. Enjoy these tales by Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and from the Arabian Nights (or One Thousand and One Nights), narrated in a warm and lively way: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderilla, Donkeyskin, The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, The Story of the Youth who went forth to learn what Fear was, The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, and an ancient Japanese tale, the Jellyfish and the Monkey.
Discover the endless fascination of Japanese culture with seven ancient tales, selected for you for their power of evocation, wisdom and humor. Not unlike the western folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, these stories faithfully preserve the spirit of medieval Japan, while rendered in a translation accessible to all ages. Here is a wonderful collection of short stories: The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab; The Jellyfish and the Monkey; Momotaro, or Little Peachling; Urashimataro and the Turtle; The Tongue-cut Sparrow; The Vision of Tsunu; The Old man and the Devils. These fairy tales and legends of old are a window into the Japanese imagination; this unusual travel through space and time will delight children and adults alike.
We have collected for you the best fables and fairy tales ever written. This collection begins with tales from Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault, two absolute masters of the genre, whose stories have been universally read ever since: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderilla, The Fairies, and Hansel and Gretel. As for the fables, Jean de la Fontaine is the most famous French fabulist ever; he was recognized as one of the foremost men of letters of France, and his Fables are still learned by every child as an essential part of moral culture. Rendered in elegant translation, enjoy the most famous fables of La Fontaine, along with lesser-known but most interesting ones. Here is a list of our compilation: The City rat and the Country rat; the Frog that wished to be as big as the ox; the Council held by the Rats; the Raven and the Fox; the Dog and the Cat; the Two mules; the Wolf and the Dog, the Swallow and the little birds; the Cat and the Thrush; the Wolf and the Lamb; the Dragon with many heads; The eagle and the beetle; the Lion and the Rat; the Lion grown old; The little Fish and the Fisher; The Lion going to War; the Sick Lion and the Fox.
Victor Hugo is one of the best-known French writers, and one of the greatest literary figures of all time. His poetry made him famous very early, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest lyric poets when he was only 20 years old. We have selected for you 28 of his most well-known and powerful poems, mosty from the immortal Autumn Leaves and Contemplations. They are, in order: Childhood; Death, il Life; Epitaph; Have you nothing to say for yourself; How Butterflies are born; I am content; Inscription for a crucifix; Satire on the Earth; St John; The Dying Child to its Mother; The Poet's Simple Faith; The Vale to you, to me the Heights; Infantile Influence; Sunset; The Patience of the People; The Poet's Love for Liveliness; The Universal Prayer; The Watching Angel; Dictated before the Rhone Glacier; Tribute to the Vanquished. Enjoy the intense rhythm and depth of Hugo's poetry, an essential part of French culture and one of the most beautiful works of poerty ever written.
The bar was high after the glorious reign of the Sun King. Louis XV, his successor, had a difficult time driving the country through religious disputes, intellectual shifts and economical hardness. This eventually led to a steep economic decline, which played an important role in the reaction of the French people against the monarchy, and eventually gave way to the French Revolution. This collection of audiobooks will help you understand a crucial part of the history of French monarchy. For each King, you will find a detailed description of the style of his reign and his political achievements, narrated in a lively way.
Classic tales and stories are an fundamental part of children's development, as they awaken imagination and bring essential teachings. These stories inspire children through important archetypes and symbolic imagery; they will bring them into a journey in fantastic worlds, full of possibilities and wonders. This specially designed compilation includes classic folk tales, famous stories by Hans Christian Andersen and fairy tales: The Brave Tin Soldier; The Tale of Peter Rabbit; Tom Thumb; The Story of Peter Pan, by James Barrie; The Nightingale; The Snow Man; Hansel and Gretel; The Three Little Pigs; The Frog Prince; and Blue Beard, by Charles Perrault. Here is an opportunity to offer your children the most inspiring journey imagination can offer.
We have collected for you the best folktales ever written, from medieval English stories to the French fairy tales of Charles Perrault and the elegant Danish stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Enjoy these timeless gems, which had been handed down for centuries before being collected in writing, and shared for their wit, inventiveness and educational value. The Three Sillies, Thom Thumb, The Three Little Pigs, The Snow Man, The Fox and the Cat, Teeny Tiny, The Story of Pretty Goldilocks, The Little Shepherd Boy, The Mouse and the Sausage, The Sweet Soup, The Three Brothers, Bluebeard, The Ugly Duckling, The Wolf and the Fox, and the Story of Caliph Stork.
