Dear French Story Listeners,

Have you ever had a friend who just got you? Who waited for you, even when you weren’t sure you deserved it?

This week’s story is for you

Les deux pigeons — The Two Pigeons — comes from Jean de La Fontaine, a French poet who lived in the 1600s and had a gift for hiding deep truths inside small animal stories.

Think of him as the French Aesop, but with a poet’s heart. His fables are still read aloud in French schools today, and for good reason: they speak to something timeless in us.

This one is about two pigeon friends, a restless urge to wander, and what’s waiting for you when you finally come home.

It’s beautiful. I think you’ll love it.

🎥 Your free story is live on YouTube

It is narrated slowly and clearly, just the way your ears and heart need it.

👉Watch now: https://youtu.be/jXABvik5whY

Here’s a little something to try

Listen all the way to the end.

La Fontaine closes with a moral, a single sentence that sums up what the story is really about.

When you hear it, copy it down. In French. Don’t translate it first, just write it. Let it land in you the way a good poem does.

Here’s a small taste of the language, from early in the story, when one restless pigeon makes up his mind:

“Il voulait voyager et découvrir le monde.” He wanted to travel and discover the world.

Even without studying a single grammar rule, you understood that, didn’t you? That’s exactly how this works. 🕊️

Then, if you’d like to read the full written fable and share what friendship means to you, what makes a true friend, in your experience, come join the conversation 💬

Read and reflect — members only (Not a member yet? This is a lovely moment to join. 🐦)

You’re doing beautifully. Keep listening. Keep showing up.

Alice 💕

P.S. If you love a good conversation — in French, about ideas that actually matter — you will enjoy my live Zoom class, Café philosophique, every Wednesday at 10 am EST.

We put a question on the table each week. Sometimes it’s big: Is happiness a choice? Sometimes it’s delightfully ridiculous: Does pineapple belong on pizza? Either way, we read, we debate warmly, we laugh, and we think out loud together in French. It’s a favorite among lifelong learners who want real intellectual stimulation, and among homeschool students learning to think critically in a new language — all at the same table, all equally welcome.
Come pull up a chair. ☕ 👉 Join Café philosophique here