I Wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think : was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!

Lewis Carroll  Alice in Wonderland

She created with sticks stones and pine cones a town for ants

But realized they were too busy to dwell

For her little dolls as small as hummingbirds

She created beds with lichen and moss

And covered them with leaves in case they got cold

When she got lost in the forest she asked the trees to show her the way

She thought mushrooms looked like weird spooky creatures that might gossip about her

She loved to pick blueberries and was proud to find out how they hide

To play the elegant lady of the city she colored her mouth and cheeks with raspberries

She strung blackberries in a blade of grass before she ate them…

She was happy when she saw

Fishes jumping out of the lake to celebrate the rain

She loved to swim across the lake like a frog

And always stopped in the middle to float on her back

Looking at the clouds

Hearing the strange voice of water

She felt at home

On the shore sitting on a big rock like a mermaid

She listened to the friendly birds singing

Contemplating the still lake

Like a mirror of heaven

Too perfect to be true…

She felt safe

Back in the city made by adults noises and nightmares

She created a house

For her little dolls as small as hummingbirds

In her dreams she saw wise trees and a lake like a mirror of heaven

A safe home

Too perfect to be true…

Elle créait avec des bâtons des pierres et des pommes de pins une ville pour les fourmis
Mais réalisa qu’ils étaient trop préssés pour y demeurer
Pour ses petites poupées aussi petites que des colibris

Elle créa des lits avec de la mousse et du lichen
Et les recouvraient de feuilles d’arbres au cas où elle prendraient froid

Si elle se perdait dans la forêt elle demandait aux arbres de lui indiquer le chemin
Elle pensait que les champignons avaient parfois des aspects étranges et effrayant

Et qu’ils pourraient médire sur elle
Elle aimait ramasser des myrtilles et était fière de découvrir leurs cachettes
Pour s’amuser à imiter une dame élégante de la ville

Elle colorait ses joues et sa bouche avec des framboises
Elle enfilait des mûres sur une tige d’herbe avant de les manger
Elle était heureuse de voir les poissons sauter hors de l’eau pour célébrer la pluie
Elle aimait traverser le lac à la nage comme une grenouille
Et s’arrêtait toujours au milieu pour flotter à la surface sur le dos
En voyant les nuages
Et en écoutant le son étrange de l’eau
Elle se sentait à la maison
Sur la rive assise sur un grand rocher comme une sirène
Elle écoutait ses amis les oiseaux chanter
Contemplant la surface paisible du lac
Comme un mirroir des cieux
Trop parfait pour être vrai
Elle se sentait en sécurité
De retour en ville faite de bruits et de cauchemards d’adultes

Elle créa une maison
Pour ses petites poupées aussi petites que des colibris
Dans ses rêves elle voyait des arbres sages et un lac comme un mirroir des cieux
Une maison sécurisante
Trop parfaite pour être vraie

Yesterday evening on my way home I met my doll

She was wearing green roller skates

And she was dancing in the wind

I said to her, I missed you so much

She answered, I’m not your doll!

Swirling in her fuchsia dress she giggled and sang,
I’m too fast! You can’t catch me!

You are too old to spin around as fast as me!

I thought,
I’m not sure if what she’s saying is true but I might get dizzy

And she sang again,

I’m not your doll! You can’t catch me!

Suddenly a blast of wind carried her away,

I watched her whirling quickly in the air like a tiny fiusha tornado.

Before she vanished I heard her shouting from faraway,

I’m not your doll! You are too old to catch me! …

After a motionless moment of great amazement
I danced in the wind by myself

Spinning around fast for a while until I got dizzy

The sky got dark and it started to rain cats and dogs

I wish it would have rained cats and dolls

It was not too late now
My doll was wrong
Even if I could not have been able to catch her

I was not too old to whirl fast like her…

The next morning was sunny
I looked up in the sky
And I saw my doll in her green roller skates spinning

Sliding gracefully on the white clouds
She whispers sweetly
Enjoy now you are free …
Her voice resonates still
Like an echo in my heart

Hier soir en rentrant chez moi j’ai rencontré ma poupée

Elle portait des patins à roulettes verts
Et elle dansait dans le vent
Je lui ai dit : Tu m’as beaucoup manqué

Elle m’a répondu : Je ne suis pas ta poupée !
En tournoyant dans sa robe fuchsia elle ricanait et chantonnait :
Je suis trop rapide pour toi ! Tu ne peux pas m’attraper !
Tu es trop vieille pour toupiller aussi vite que moi !
Et j’ai pensé :
Je ne sais pas si ce qu’elle dit est vrai mais je risque peux-être de chavirer
Et elle a chantonné à nouveau :
Je ne suis pas ta poupée ! Tu ne peux pas m’attraper !
Soudain une rafale de vent l’a emporté

Je l’ai regardé tourbillonner très vite dans les airs

Comme une petite tornade de couleur fuchsia

Avant qu’elle ne disparaisse je l’ai entendu crier de loin :

Je ne suis pas ta poupée ! Tu es trop vieille pour m’attraper !

Dans une grande stupéfaction après un instant d’immobilité
J’ai dansé seule dans le vent

Et j’ai virevolté un temps jusqu’à m’étourdir

Le ciel s’est assombrit et il s’est mis à pleuvoir à torrent
J’aurais aimé qu’il pleuve un torrent de poupées

Ce n’était pas trop tard
Ma poupée avait tort

Même si je n’avais pas réussi à l’attraper

Je n’étais pas trop vieille pour tourbillonner aussi vite qu’elle …

Le jour suivant était ensoleillé

J’ai levé les yeux au ciel
Et j’ai vu ma poupée dans ses patins à roulette verts faire des pirouettes 
Glisser gracieusement sur des nuages blancs

Elle me chuchote avec douceur
Réjouie-toi maintenant tu es libre …
Sa voix résonne encore
Comme un écho dans mon cœur

Undisciplined

Fooling around

Splashing in a puddle barefoot

Playing hide and seek in the rain

Eating the forbidden fruit and being satisfied

Howling on a roof at night when the moon is full

Climbing trees to catch the shooting stars and making wishes

Asking a cat what time is it

Running late for work on a witch’s broom

And so much more

To break the adults’ wall of fear

Little girl hold my hand

Open my heart to the universe

Little girl hold my hand

Your smile shines

And warms up my heart

Little girl hold my hand

Show me the way of love

And I won’t be frightened

Of the dark anymore

Little girl hold my hand

Always

You’re my innocent protector

I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about me, I have the same talent for surviving as you do. It was time for you to set me free and time for me to have a new adventure… So you don’t have to feel guilty, I’m doing great in the forest of Orleans…

Sorry that I couldn’t stay in your uncle’s house, I don’t think I would have gotten along with him anyway and I didn’t like his silly dog very much …

I’m grateful that you gave me that wonderful freedom.

An old lady dressed in black with a pointy hat adopted me. She hired me to watch over her house when she leaves and flies away on her broom.

She has a crystal ball and one day I went to ask it about you… Then I saw you in the crystal ball reading a poem about me, I was very touched…I wish I could write something as nice as you did …But I’m not sure if I have your talent for poetry.

My first day in the forest was a little challenging, I got chased by a fox and I escaped by climbing a tree for the first time in my life! I was so proud of myself…

Me, a cat from the city! Can you imagine my surprise! How I amazed myself!

For Halloween I have been elected by the ghosts, bats, crows, owls and wolves to be the Moon’s guardian. In the first place I was proud of my new job but then I realized that I didn’t know what I’d have to do. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by asking stupid questions. My first thought was that I might have to keep checking on the Moon in case she started to fall down…

But then, to have more information about her, I asked the crystal ball and I discovered that NASA has been bombing one of her craters and they said that it has been successful…

I was so shocked! How can they think that it was successful?!

You named me Mystery but there are also a lot of things that are mysterious to me about you humans.

I was so worried about the Moon that I couldn’t sleep well and I dreamed about it with a big hole and then she got so sick and so moody that she got covered by a big shadow…

I reported to my fellowship of the forest the information that I had about the Moon from the crystal ball and we decided to write a letter to NASA.

Once you receive the letter can you mail it to the right address?

I couldn’t find it and I know that they are based in your country…

Love,

Mystery