bergers voisins. neigh-fleurs, flowers, pour apaiser to allay sa faim, one's hunger, et and d'aller éteindre to go (and) quench sa soif one's thirst un clair a limpid l'un et l'autre. both. Que faut-il davantage? What else is wanted? J'aime (for je aime) I like la philosophie the philosophy qui that enseigne teaches entra en conversation à se contenter de peu. entered into conversation avec lui: with him: Que venez-vous What do you come paissons let us graze ensemble. together. Aussitôt Directly le mouton the lamb sort comes out to be contented with little. Est-il donc vrai, Is it en of them chercher to seek ici? here? dit-il said he au glouton. glutton. lamb repartit, replied, que that to the vous ne mangez point you do not eat et non and not par from leurs discours. their words. LE RENARD ET LA CIGOGNE. THE FOX AND THE STORK. le galant the sharp fellow avait had pour toute besogne nothing but un brouet a porridge clair; thin; il vivait chichement. he kept a scanty table (he lived sparingly). Ce brouet That porridge fut servi was served up par lui by himself sur une on a assiette: plate: la cicogne the stork au long bec with a long beak ne put could not attraper miette catch the tiniest bit en, of it, je ne fais point céré-embouchure. mouth. upon ceremony A At l'heure the hour dite, appointed, il courut he ran au logis to the dwelling de la cigogne of the stork son hôtesse; his host ess; loua praised très-fort very much sa politesse; her politeness; trouva found le diner the dinner cuit cooked à point; to a turn; bon appétit good appe tite surtout, especially, renards foxes ne manquent point are not deficient en. in it. He et le drôle and the à l'odeur at the smell Il se réjouissait rejoiced Le bec The beak de la cigogne of the stork pouvait could bien easily y passer, go through it, mais but le museau the muzzle du sire of the sire était was d'autre mesure. beyond measure (of another measure). Il lui fallut He was obliged retourner to go back à jeun fasting au logis, to his dwelling, honteux comme un renard looking as foolish as a fox (ashamed like a fox) qu'une poule aurait pris, taken in by a hen (which a hen would have taken), serrant la queue with his tail between his legs (pressing down the tail) et portant bas l'oreille. and his ears hanging down (and carrying the ears low). Trompeurs, Deceivers, c'est it is pour vous for you que j'écris: that I am writing: attendez-vous à la pareille, expect tit for tat. ARTICLE. 115.-The French for the is le, la, les. 117.-La before a noun feminine singular : la reine, the queen; la rivière, the river. 118.-Les before a noun plural of either gender: les rois, the kings les palais, the palaces les reines, the queens les rivières, the rivers. 119.-Le and la become l' before a vowel or an h mute :— 120.-à le is changed into au, de le into du, before a consonant or an h aspirate. 121. We never use à les before a noun, but aux instead ; never de les, but des instead in the plural; thus we say:— and not à le roi, دو to the king of or from the king of or from the kings 122.-The French for a, an is un, une. 123.—Un before a noun masculine singular: un boucher, a butcher un bœuf, an ox un arbre, a tree. de les histoires, of or from the histories 124.-Une before a noun feminine singular:une couturière, a dressmaker une orange, an orange. 125.-De un, de une, must be written d'un, d'une:-d'un boucher, of a butcher; d'une orange, of an orange. 126.-Some or any, expressed or understood before a noun, is translated in French by de l', du, de la, des : de l'argent, money or some money du vin, wine or some wine de la bière, beer or some beer de l'eau, water or some water des pommes, apples or some apples. 127. However instead of de l', du, de la, des, meaning some or any, we use de or d'— (a) When there is an adjective between the noun and de l', du, de la, des :— de bon vin, good wine or some good wine de grosses pommes, some large apples. (b) Between the adverbs pas, point, jamais, plus, moins, beaucoup, peu, combien, assez, autant, tant, trop and the noun:pas de pommes, no apples point de vin, no wine plus de bière, more beer moins d'eau, less water. 128.-In English the noun of the possessor may be put either after or before the noun of the possessed, as:— the hat of the boy or the boy's hat. the shawl of the girl or the girl's shawl. In French we must always put the possessed first and never suppress de (of); thus we say: Le chapeau du garçon Le châle de la fille. 129.-You may say in English a gold watch or a watch of gold, a paper hat or a hat of paper. In French we must always make use of the second way, and say-une montre d'or; une or montre could not be understood. 130.-When several nouns come after each other in English, you generally put the before the first only; we must repeat it before every one in French : the father, mother, son, and daughter le père, la mère, le fils et la fille the dogs, cats, and rats les chiens, les chats et les rats. Translate into French: 1. 1. A she-bear. 2. Some deceivers. 3. No figure. 4. To the mother. 5. Of the mother. 6. To the animal. 7. From the day. 8. A bear. 9. Some ears. 10. No shade. 11. The flowers of the meadows. 12. To the son. 13. Of the lessons. 14. A figure. 17. The chinks of the fence. Some tails. 16. No noise. 15. 19. From the 21. Some hens. 22. No posi 23. To the crow. 24. From the trees. 25. A mass. 28. The shep gentlemen. 20. An animal. tion. 26. Some measures. 27. No conversation. herd's flute. 29. To the mothers. 30. From the honours. 2. 1. A meal. 2. Some monsters. crows. 5. A plate. 6. Some sons. 3. A porridge. 4. Some 7. A rogue. 8. Some animals. 9. A moment. 10. A friend. 11. Some bears. 12. An hour. 13. Some she-bears. 14. A dwelling. hostess. 16. A dinner. 17. An appetite. 15. A 18. A jug. 19. A |