La petite Jeanne; ou, Le devoir

In a quiet village of the Cher department, a sixty‑year‑old widow known as mère Nannette makes a modest living from her tiny house, a chestnut tree, a garden of fruit trees, and a few animals she tends with great care. Her year‑round routine of planting, milking, and selling butter, cheese, wine and goose feathers keeps her just above survival, and her frugal habits leave a small surplus each winter. The rhythm of her life is simple, honest, and deeply rooted in the cycles of the land.

One chilly morning, a pale, sick woman arrives at Nannette’s door, clutching a small girl named Jeanne, and begs for a piece of bread. Mère Nannette welcomes them, offers soup and warmth, and listens to the woman’s story of loss and desperation. This act of kindness sets the stage for a tender exploration of duty, compassion, and the quiet strength that can arise from humble, rural hearts.