
Histoires Insolites
LES PLAGIAIRES DE LA FOUDRE
LA CÉLESTE AVENTURE
UN SINGULIER CHELEM!
LE JEU DES GRÂCES
LE SECRET DE LA BELLE ARDIANE
L'HÉROÏSME DU DOCTEUR HALLIDONHILL
LES PHANTASMES DE M. REDOUX
CE MAHOIN!
LA MAISON DU BONHEUR
On a remote Pacific island a towering eucalyptus crowns a blooming forest, and its canopy hosts a flock of giant, multicoloured parrots. Over generations they have honed the rumble of distant storms, reproducing thunder with startling fidelity while ignoring the flash itself. Their constant, rolling clamor turns the day into a perpetual tempest, even when the sky is clear.
The other island inhabitants—small mammals, reptiles and shy birds—are forced into nocturnal habits, trembling at the relentless roar that seems to shake their bones. Though the parrots view their mimicry as harmless play, their deafening concerts reshape the island’s rhythm, making food scarce and daylight hostile. The narrative watches this imbalance with scientific curiosity and wry amusement.
Narrated in a richly descriptive, slightly ironic tone, the story invites listeners to linger on the paradox of a creature that loves sound yet remains oblivious to its impact. As the parrots' thunderous talent grows, the island teeters between wonder and weariness, prompting reflection on how unintended art can dominate a world.
Language
fr
Duration
~4 hours (242K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by garweyne, Christine P. Travers and the Distributed Proofreading team at DP-test Italia.
Release date
2015-04-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1889
A major voice of French Symbolism, he wrote dreamlike, unsettling fiction and drama that pushed back against the realism of his time. He is especially remembered for the dark tales collected in Cruel Tales and for Tomorrow's Eve, an early imaginative novel about artificial life.
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