Classic French Tales - Volume 2

Fairy tales have been used for centuries to build up children's vocabulary and mastery of French verb tenses. It is a fun way to learn daily vocabulary, upscale expressions and a great training for understanding longer stories in French.

"La Belle au Bois Dormant" - Camille's + 18th century versions

A young and beautiful princess is forever asleep in a hidden castle, deep in the middle of a dense forest. She is waiting for her prince, and a true love kiss that will break the spell and free her from her enchanted slumber.

The first recording is my own rendition of this very famous tale. I tell it here the same way I tell it to my daughter, the same way my mother told it to me - more or less. This is easier than the original tale by Perrault, yet it is still a rather long tale, full of vocabulary, and will be perfect for intermediate students, or beginners looking for a challenge.

"Les 3 Petits Cochons" - Camille's version

Three little piglets leave their mother's house to go live their lives. One builds a straw hut, the second one a twig cabin, the third a house made of stone. What will become of them when night falls and the Big Bad Wolf shows up at their doorstep? This tale is cute and short, and will be very easy to understand.

"Le Petit Poucet" - Camille's + 18th century versions

It was a time of deep famine, and this poor woodcutter's family was starving. The parents schemed to loose their 7 children in the depths of the forest. Their plan would have surely succeeded if it were not for the youngest child, a frail and silent boy, so little that is was named "Tom Thumb". Will his wit suffice to save his family?

"Riquet A La Houppe" - Camille's + 18th century versions

An ugly but very smart man, 2 twin princesses and a fairy. And the strangest hairdo in the fairy tale world...

Preview

• Cendrillon - Camille's version