Contes de lundi

A lively tapestry of short tales unfolds, weaving together humor, history, and the everyday pulse of 19th‑century Alsace. In the opening story, a nervous schoolboy races to his classroom while the countryside hums with birdsong and the distant drills of Prussian troops. He slips past bustling town squares, encounters familiar faces, and discovers that his final French lesson will be the last before a new language policy reshapes his world.

The narrative captures the tension between childhood innocence and the looming weight of political change, all rendered with vivid, affectionate detail. The teacher’s gentle voice, the solemn elders seated in the back, and the rustle of a weather‑worn alphabet book create a poignant snapshot of a community on the brink. Listeners are invited to feel the heat of a summer morning, hear the murmurs of a town under watch, and share the boy’s quiet resolve as he faces an uncertain future.