mother and daughters

Placez le pointeur de la souris sur les mots soulignés, sans cliquer.

A woman was walking home with her three young daughters, enjoying a peaceful evening strollPROMENADE.

The eldestAÎNÉE daughter looked up at her mother and asked sweetlyDOUCEMENT, “Mummy, how did I get my name?”

Her mother smiled and repliedRÉPONDIT, “Well, sweetieMA CHÉRIE, when we were bringing you home from the hospital, a beautiful rose petal floated downTOMBA LÉGÈREMENT and landed gently on your head. That’s why we named you Rose.”

The second daughter, now curious, pipes upINTERVINT with the same question: “What about me, Mummy? How did I get my name?”

“DarlingMA CHÉRIE,” her mother answered warmlyCHALEUREUSEMENT, “when we were carrying you home from the hospital, a delicate lily petalPÉTALE DE LYS drifted down and settledSE POSA right on your head. That’s why your name is Lily.”

The youngestBENJAMINE daughter, who had been quietly listening until now, suddenly turns to her motherSE TOURNE VERS SA MÈRE with wide eyesLES YEUX ÉCARQUILLÉS and lets outLAISSE ÉCHAPPER an enthusiastic, completely unintelligible burst of soundÉCLAT DE SON: “H’k—?! —pft?! —gh?! —dsty—?! —hkkk-nngh!!”

The mother glances downBAISSA LES YEUX at her, placed a gentle finger to her lipsLÈVRES, and said calmly, “Shhh, be quiet now, CinderblockPARPAING.”

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Vocabulary

Stroll: a slow, relaxed walk for pleasure.

Eldest: the oldest of a group of siblings.

Burst of sound: a sudden, short explosion of noise or speech.

They were enjoying a peaceful evening strollPROMENADE.

The eldestAÎNÉE daughter asked sweetly.

She lets outLAISSA ÉCHAPPER a strange burst of soundÉCLAT DE SON.

Grammar

The joke mainly uses past simple to narrate the sequence of events and past continuous to describe background actions or ongoing situations.

Past simple: A rose petal landed on her head.

Past continuous: They were bringing you home from the hospital.

Direct speech: “Well, sweetie,” her mother replied.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Stroll: walk, saunter, amble.

Sweetie | Darling: love, dear, sweetheart.

Burst of sound: outburst, exclamation, garbled noise.

Glances down: looks down, bends her gaze downward, casts her eyes down.

Mini Dialogue

Rose: Mummy, how did I get my name?

Mother: A rose petal floated downTOMBA LÉGÈREMENT on your head, sweetie. That’s why you’re Rose.

Lily: And me, Mummy? How did I get my nameMON NOM?

Mother: A lily petalPÉTALE DE LYS settledSE POSA on you, darling. That’s why you’re Lily.

Youngest: H’k—?! —pft?! —gh?! —dsty—?! —hkkk-nngh!!

Mother: Shhh, be quiet now, CinderblockPARPAING.

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