a letter to baby jesus

Passez la souris ou touchez les mots soulignés pour voir la traduction.

A boy from a poor family wanted a bikeVÉLO for Christmas. He asked his mother. The mother sighedSOUPIRA, “We can’t afford oneON NE PEUT PAS S’EN PERMETTRE UN—you’ll have to ask Baby Jesus.”

So he went to his room, grabbedSAISIT a pen and a stack of paperUNE PILE DE PAPIER, and began writing:

“Dear Baby Jesus, I’ve been good all yearTOUTE L’ANNÉE. Can you please give me a bike for Christmas?”

He paused. That didn’t feel entirely honest. He tried again:

“Dear Baby Jesus, I’ve been good for the past week. Can you please give me a bike for Christmas?”

Still unsureTOUJOURS INCERTAIN, he tried a third time:

“Dear Baby Jesus, if you give me a bike, I’ll be good all year.”

Even that seemed too muchSEMBLAIT TROP. He went outside to think.

While walkingTOUT EN MARCHANT, he noticed his neighbour’s statue of Mother MaryLA STATUE DE LA VIERGE MARIE CHEZ SON VOISIN. A mischievous ideaIDÉE ESPiÈGLE struck. He hopped the fenceIL SAUTA LA CLÔTURE, tuckedGLISSA the statue under his arm, and ran home.

Back at his desk, he wrote a new letter:

“Dear Baby Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again, give me a bike!”

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Vocabulary

Sigh: to breathe out audibly expressing disappointment or relief.

Mischievous: showing a playful desire to cause trouble or annoyance.

The mother sighedSOUPIRA when asked about the bike.

A mischievous ideaIDÉE ESPiÈGLE struck the boy.

Grammar

The joke uses past simple for main narration and sequence of events, past perfect for earlier actions or states, and conditional for promises/requests.

Past simple: He asked his mother and grabbed a pen.

Past perfect: I’ve been good all year (present perfect in letter, but past context implied).

First conditional: If you give me a bike, I ’ll be good all year.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Sighed: exhaled deeply, breathed heavily, let out a sigh.

Mischievous idea: naughty thought, cheeky plan, impish notion.

Hopped the fence: jumped over the fence, climbed the fence, vaulted the barrier.

Tucked: slipped, placed, stowed.

Mini Dialogue

Mother: “We can’t afford oneON NE PEUT PAS S’EN PERMETTRE UN—you’ll have to ask Baby Jesus.”

Boy (first letter): “Dear Baby Jesus, I’ve been good all yearTOUTE L’ANNÉE. Can you please give me a bike?”

Boy (final letter): “Dear Baby Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again, give me a bike!”

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