When Stories Connect Us Across Continents: This Week's Bulgarian Folktale
Coucou les French Story Listeners,
What a joy it is when our stories spark creativity!
Last week, Nadya shared the most adorable crochet work inspired by “Chat et souris associés” on our Telegram group.
Look at this precious orange cat and tiny white mouse she created – complete with whiskers and that unmistakable mouse tail!
These handmade treasures are what make our community so special.
And speaking of Nadya, this week we’re traveling to her homeland!
This Week’s Narration Challenge: “Le soleil et le hérisson”
We’re journeying to Bulgaria with a charming folktale about how hedgehogs got their spikes. Here’s how to join in:
- Read and listen to the story here: https://www.aliceayel.com/resources/le-soleil-et-le-herisson/
- Watch the video with synchronized audio to let the words settle naturally
- Narrate in your own words – simply tell us what happened between the sun and the hedgehog
- Submit by Sunday, January 18th on Telegram
Nadya has already shared that she knows this tale well from her Bulgarian childhood, where it’s called “Les noces du soleil.“
She was always impressed that such a small creature could influence the Sun’s mighty decision!
Her primary teacher told her the hedgehog was wise – and I think we’ll discover that wisdom ourselves this week.
A gentle reminder
There’s no such thing as a perfect narration.
Just let the story live in your mind for a bit, then tell it back as you remember it.
That’s where the real learning happens – in the gentle work of making the story your own.
I’m looking forward to hearing how this folktale speaks to each of you.
Alice 💕
P.S. Mark your calendars – we’ll have another live session together next month! I’ll share the date soon. It’s always such a gift to gather and converse in French together.
Heather's discovery: "Never trust a cat" (+ this week's tale)
Chers amis,
Last Saturday’s gathering was warm and intimate—like sitting together by a winter fire.
We talked about your French habits for the new year.
We worked through connecting to Telegram step-by-step (if you missed it, watch the replay here—I walk you through the whole process on screen).
And we discussed how narration makes French naturally, permanently yours.
This Week’s Story
“Chat et souris associés” – when a cat and mouse became friends, prepared for winter together, and then… hunger tested everything.
Heather narrated this story and discovered something:
“This is typical Grimm Brothers—evil triumphs at the end. They play with the natural behaviors of a cat and mouse. Imagine they could be friends! But either the cat became selfish, or the cat simply acted like a cat. He ate all the lard, and when the mouse realized it, the cat ate her too. As expected. I learned new words—saindoux, autel, soi-disant—and this: never trust a cat.“
Your Challenge
This is a 30-minute story. Before watching, breathe deeply five times. Let your mind arrive where your body is.
Watch: Chat et souris associés
Then narrate it back—in French, your mother tongue, or both.
What stayed with you? The friendship? The cat’s temptations? The ending?
Share your narration in Telegram by Sunday, January 11th.
Karel, Anita, Margot, Heather, Grace, Sally, and Jon have already shared. Join them.
Click here to join our Telegram community
I read and respond personally to every single one.
À bientôt,
Alice 💕
Bonne année—let's gather this Saturday ☕
Bonne année et bonne santé, dear friend,
I hope 2026 has begun gently for you.
Can I be honest? Of our 1,100+ French Story Listeners, only 56 have joined our Telegram community so far. And I’ve been wondering why.
Maybe the tech feels confusing. Maybe you’re not sure what happens there. Maybe you signed up months ago and life just got full.
Whatever the reason—I miss you. And I’d like to help.
This Saturday, I’m hosting a simple gathering:
📅 Saturday, January 3, 2026
🕕 6pm Portugal | 1pm EST | 10am PST
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83503733575?pwd=CLE23QYQoSYmdxFXMWlAQC2SvQtacW.1
Meeting ID: 835 0373 3575
Passcode: 906483
We’ll spend time on:
- Getting you connected to Telegram personally (I’ll walk you through it step-by-step—no tech skills needed)
- How to create narrations that help French become naturally yours
- Your questions about stories, learning, or anything else on your heart
Learning French is meant to be a feast—not a drill or a race, but a generous table where you can savor the language at your own pace.
This Saturday, I’d like to gather our family around that table together.
No agenda beyond being present. No pressure. No performance.
Just us, stories, and the French language we’re learning to love.
Bring your coffee or tea. I’ll see you there—or in the next story.
Avec toute mon affection,
Alice 💕
P.S. Can’t make it live? I’ll send you the recording. But there’s something special about being together in real time – like gathering around the table for a story. I hope you’ll join us!
A Christmas gift: Let's meet live next week
Bonjour French Story Listener,
I’m writing to you from my kitchen table, still surrounded by the happy chaos of Christmas – my family’s laughter echoing through the house, the smell of hot chocolate lingering in the air.
I feel incredibly lucky. This season reminds me what matters most: connection, presence, the stories we share around the table that make us feel less alone in the world.
And that’s exactly what I want to offer you as we step into 2026.
Let’s kick off the new year together
I’m hosting a live Zoom meeting on Saturday, January 3 at 6pm Portugal time (1pm EST / 10am PST).
This is your chance to:
- Get personal help joining our Telegram community (I’ll walk you through it step-by-step)
- Learn how to create narrations that bring you closer to fluency
- Ask me anything about French learning, stories, or finding your voice
Why narration matters – especially now!
Christmas is a season of stories.
We tell them to our children, we remember them from our own childhoods, we pass them down because stories carry something precious – meaning, memory, connection.
That’s what narration does for your French.
When you listen to a French story and then tell it back in your own words, you’re not memorizing grammar.
You’re making the language yours. You’re finding what moves you, what stays with you, what you want to carry forward.
Just like the stories you shared around your Christmas table, narration transforms French from something foreign into something that belongs to you.
You already know how to do this.
You’ve been doing it your whole life – with the stories that shaped you, the moments you retell to friends, the memories you hold close.
Now we’re doing it in French. And I’m here to guide you.
Join me live
📅 Saturday, January 3, 2026
🕕 6pm Portugal | 1pm EST | 10am PST
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83503733575?pwd=CLE23QYQoSYmdxFXMWlAQC2SvQtacW.1
Meeting ID: 835 0373 3575
Passcode: 906483
Come as you are. No preparation needed.
Just bring your curiosity and your willingness to take one gentle step closer to the French you’ve always wanted to speak.
I can’t wait to see your face and hear your voice.
À bientôt,
Alice 💕
P.S. Can’t make it live? I’ll send you the recording. But there’s something special about being together in real time – like gathering around the table for a story. I hope you’ll join us!
I miss you in our French story circle
Bonjour French Story Listener,
I’ve been thinking about you.
You joined our French Listeners Family because you wanted something beautiful: stories in French, a community of fellow learners, a place to a place to practice speaking French without judgment.
But I notice you haven’t joined us in Telegram yet. And we miss you.
Our little circle gathers there each week. Members share their narrations.
I respond to every single one—not with red pen corrections, but with the warmth of a friend noticing what moved you in the story and celebrating your courage to speak.
It’s the heart of what you paid for. And you’re not there yet.
How to join (takes 5 minutes):
Already have Telegram?
👉 Click here to join our group: https://t.me/+kj7F0mWZ8Uo4OWE0
Don’t have Telegram yet?
Telegram is a free messaging app—like WhatsApp but more private.
Here’s how to get started:
On your phone:
- Open your App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android)
- Search for “Telegram”
- Download the app with the blue paper airplane icon (NOT “Telegram X”)
- Open the app and enter your phone number
- Enter the verification code sent to your phone
- Once you’re in, click this link: https://t.me/+kj7F0mWZ8Uo4OWE0
- Tap “Join Group”
That’s it! Say bonjour when you arrive—I read every message.
Still not sure? I’m hosting a live group call on Saturday, January 3 at 6pm Portugal time (1pm EST / 10am PST) where I’ll walk you through joining Telegram and answer your questions about narration—what it is, how to do it well, and why it works.
Registration details coming soon.
You already paid for this. Don’t let it go to waste.
Will you join us by December 31?
À bientôt,
Alice 💕