Extrait du livre Charlie and the Irish Party
Charlie and the Irish Party by Maisie Fieschi and Annalisa Ferrari ABC Melody publishing
Charlie and the Irish Party
It’s the weekend. Charlie and his friends are taking a short trip to Ireland. They are standing on the deck of a huge ferry. – Wow! says Charlie. Look how big the waves are! – I don’t want to look, says Pierre… – Oh, dear! If you’re seasick, you should close your eyes and lie down, suggests Stella. – Thank you, I will try! replies Pierre. The ferry arrives at the Cork Ferry Terminal. It is very busy at the docks. Many people are carrying big bags, and going to meet their friends and family. – Hello, Charlie! calls a woman. It’s me, Aunt Sarah. Charlie waves. – Hello, Aunt Sarah! This is Pierre and Stella. – Hello! Nice to meet you, Pierre and Stella. Welcome to Ireland!
The children are in Aunt Sarah’s car, driving through the countryside. Pierre is very impressed. – Everything is so green here! It’s beautiful. – There’s so much green grass and so many green trees, says Stella. Aunt Sarah nods. – Yes, green is the special colour of Ireland. Many plants grow here because it rains a lot. The car slows down and stops in the middle of a field. – I have a surprise for you, children, says Aunt Sarah. Look! – Wow, it’s a horse and carriage! shouts Charlie. – Exactly. The horse’s name is Connor. He’s very friendly. We’re going to ride in his carriage to the farmhouse. – This is so much fun! says Stella.
When they arrive at the farmhouse, Aunt Sarah gives Connor an apple. – Thank you for driving us, says Aunt Sarah. – Neigghhhhhhhh, says Connor. The children pat Connor very gently and thank him. There are lots of sheep on the farm. – They look like small fluffy clouds, says Stella. – That little one is really cute, adds Charlie. – It’s little because it’s a baby – a sheep’s baby is called a “lamb”, explains Aunt Sarah.
Suddenly, all the sheep start moving. – What’s happening? Where are the sheep going? asks Pierre. – Oh, says Aunt Sarah. Erin is chasing them so that they go to their shed. – Who’s Erin? asks Pierre. A huge red dog runs up and jumps on Charlie. Charlie laughs. – This is Erin. She’s a sheepdog! She looks after the sheep. That night, they all have Irish stew for dinner. – This is a typical Irish dish, says Aunt Sarah. It is made of meat and potatoes. It is very yummy! Then she tells the children about the plans for the next day: – Tomorrow is the 17th of March – it is the national day of Ireland. We call it “Saint Patrick’s Day”. – Who is Saint Patrick? Stella asks. – He was a man who scared all the snakes out of Ireland, more than 1000 years ago. – He sounds great, says Pierre. I hate snakes!
Stella is very interested. – What happens on Saint Patrick’s Day? – The whole country has a big party, says Aunt Sarah. We will go to Cork to see the parade. – And everyone has to wear green. Isn’t that right, Aunt Sarah? Charlie adds. –Yes, Charlie, that’s right! The next day, they are in Cork. There are people everywhere, and everyone is wearing green! – Go and find the parade, children! I am too tired. I will meet you at the end, says Aunt Sarah. – But how will we find the parade? asks Charlie. – Listen! Can you hear drums? says Aunt Sarah. Follow the sound, and you will find the parade!
