Le petit jardin
The Little Garden
A boy in Papeete plants tomato seeds on his balcony and learns patience as he watches them grow.
- nature
- patience
Tap an underlined word to see its meaning.
What you'll encounter
- Grammar
- present tense
- Vocabulary
- nature and gardening vocabulary
- time expressions
- Skills
- reading a slow-paced patience narrative
- tracking change over time in simple present tense
Teva habite à Papeete, à Tahiti, avec ses parents et sa grand-mère. Il a huit ans. Leur appartement a un petit balcon ensoleillé, avec une belle vue sur la mer et les montagnes.
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Teva lives in Papeete, in Tahiti, with his parents and his grandmother. He is eight years old. Their apartment has a small, sunny balcony, with a beautiful view of the sea and the mountains.
Teva partage sa chambre avec son petit frère, mais le balcon est son endroit préféré de la maison.
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Teva shares his room with his little brother, but the balcony is his favorite spot in the house.
Un jour, sa grand-mère lui offre un petit sac de de tomate. « Tu peux faire un petit jardin sur le balcon », dit-elle. Teva trouve l’idée excellente.
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One day, his grandmother gives him a small bag of tomato seeds. "You can make a little garden on the balcony," she says. Teva thinks it's a great idea.
Sa grand-mère cultive des légumes depuis qu’elle est enfant, dans le jardin de ses propres parents. « Les tomates sont faciles, pour commencer », dit-elle.
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His grandmother has been growing vegetables since she was a child, in her own parents' garden. "Tomatoes are easy, to start with," she says.
Son cousin Manu un peu de lui. « Des tomates sur un balcon ? C’est difficile, je crois », dit-il. Mais Teva est déterminé à essayer.
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His cousin Manu teases him a little. "Tomatoes on a balcony? That's hard, I think," he says. But Teva is determined to try.
Teva remplit un pot de terre et plante les graines avec soin. Il la terre tous les matins. Mais après trois jours, la graine ne pousse pas encore.
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Teva fills a pot with soil and carefully plants the seeds. He waters the soil every morning. But after three days, the seed hasn't sprouted yet.
« C’est normal », explique sa grand-mère. « Une plante a besoin de temps, comme nous. » Teva continue à arroser le pot chaque jour, même quand il ne voit pas de changement.
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"That's normal," explains his grandmother. "A plant needs time, just like us." Teva keeps watering the pot every day, even when he doesn't see any change.
Chaque semaine, Teva mesure la hauteur de la plante avec une petite . Il note les chiffres dans un carnet, comme un vrai scientifique.
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Every week, Teva measures the height of the plant with a little ruler. He writes the numbers down in a notebook, like a real scientist.
Après une semaine, Teva remarque une petite verte dans la terre. « Grand-mère, viens voir ! » crie-t-il, plein de joie. Il ne peut pas croire ses yeux.
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After a week, Teva notices a small green sprout in the soil. "Grandma, come see!" he shouts, full of joy. He can't believe his eyes.
Les jours passent, et la petite plante grandit lentement. Teva lui parle souvent et vérifie si elle a assez d’eau et de soleil. La plante devient de plus en plus haute.
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The days go by, and the little plant grows slowly. Teva talks to it often and checks whether it has enough water and sunlight. The plant becomes taller and taller.
Un jour, Teva voit de petites près du pot. Sa grand-mère lui montre comment les éloigner doucement, sans les blesser.
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One day, Teva sees small ants near the pot. His grandmother shows him how to gently move them away, without hurting them.
Après deux mois, de petites jaunes apparaissent sur la plante. Puis, un matin, Teva voit une petite tomate verte. « Elle est encore trop petite pour manger », dit sa grand-mère.
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After two months, small yellow flowers appear on the plant. Then, one morning, Teva sees a small green tomato. "It's still too small to eat," says his grandmother.
Teva attend . Chaque jour, la tomate devient un peu plus rouge. Enfin, un dimanche, elle est prête : rouge, ronde, et bien .
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Teva waits patiently. Every day, the tomato gets a little redder. Finally, one Sunday, it's ready: red, round, and perfectly ripe.
Ce soir-là, toute la famille mange la tomate de Teva dans la salade. Même Manu goûte un morceau et , impressionné. « Elle est vraiment bonne », admet-il. Le père de Teva dit qu’il est fier de son petit jardinier.
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That evening, the whole family eats Teva's tomato in the salad. Even Manu tastes a piece and nods, impressed. "It's really good," he admits. Teva's father says he's proud of his little gardener.
« C’est la meilleure tomate du monde ! » dit Teva fièrement. Sa grand-mère sourit : « La patience donne toujours de bons fruits. »
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"It's the best tomato in the world!" says Teva proudly. His grandmother smiles: "Patience always bears good fruit."
Teva pense déjà à planter autre chose la saison prochaine, peut-être des ou des fleurs. Son petit jardin de balcon n’est que le début.
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Teva is already thinking about planting something else next season, maybe herbs or flowers. His little balcony garden is only the beginning.
Show full English translation
Teva lives in Papeete, in Tahiti, with his parents and his grandmother. He is eight years old. Their apartment has a small, sunny balcony, with a beautiful view of the sea and the mountains.
Teva shares his room with his little brother, but the balcony is his favorite spot in the house.
One day, his grandmother gives him a small bag of tomato seeds. "You can make a little garden on the balcony," she says. Teva thinks it's a great idea.
His grandmother has been growing vegetables since she was a child, in her own parents' garden. "Tomatoes are easy, to start with," she says.
His cousin Manu teases him a little. "Tomatoes on a balcony? That's hard, I think," he says. But Teva is determined to try.
Teva fills a pot with soil and carefully plants the seeds. He waters the soil every morning. But after three days, the seed hasn't sprouted yet.
"That's normal," explains his grandmother. "A plant needs time, just like us." Teva keeps watering the pot every day, even when he doesn't see any change.
Every week, Teva measures the height of the plant with a little ruler. He writes the numbers down in a notebook, like a real scientist.
After a week, Teva notices a small green sprout in the soil. "Grandma, come see!" he shouts, full of joy. He can't believe his eyes.
The days go by, and the little plant grows slowly. Teva talks to it often and checks whether it has enough water and sunlight. The plant becomes taller and taller.
One day, Teva sees small ants near the pot. His grandmother shows him how to gently move them away, without hurting them.
After two months, small yellow flowers appear on the plant. Then, one morning, Teva sees a small green tomato. "It's still too small to eat," says his grandmother.
Teva waits patiently. Every day, the tomato gets a little redder. Finally, one Sunday, it's ready: red, round, and perfectly ripe.
That evening, the whole family eats Teva's tomato in the salad. Even Manu tastes a piece and nods, impressed. "It's really good," he admits. Teva's father says he's proud of his little gardener.
"It's the best tomato in the world!" says Teva proudly. His grandmother smiles: "Patience always bears good fruit."
Teva is already thinking about planting something else next season, maybe herbs or flowers. His little balcony garden is only the beginning.
Words to know
- graines
- — seeds
- se moque
- — teases
- arrose
- — waters
- règle
- — ruler
- pousse
- — sprout
- fourmis
- — ants
- fleurs
- — flowers
- patiemment
- — patiently
- mûre
- — ripe
- hoche la tête
- — nods
- herbes
- — herbs