I did this quick little drawing for a child staying here in one of the cottages, a funny serious little thing by the name of Mathilde. She five years old. “J‘ai 5 ans”, she told me with all the serious of this when one is a child. She wanted me to draw her a man on a bicycle with his wife behind him and a baby strapped to the mothers back, with a dog running at the side. Gulp. This was a bit much for a five-minute job and – now that I think of it – I doubt I have ever drawn a bicycle in my life, let alone covered in the inhabitants of half the country and their dog. So I suggested a ballet dancer. I can do ballet dancers. And horses.
Mathilde nodded her agreement to this change in her plans and sat down next to me while I drew this. Every now and then she gave me instructions as to what I had missed out or what needed to go in – a beautiful feather in her hair (forgot about that), ballet shoes, lots of lace, lipstick (er…). When I had finished I said to her:
“Voila. Voila une belle dame pour toi!”
As she was frowning slightly I asked:
“Is there anything else I should add, anything missing to the belle dame?”
Yes, she nodded firmly:
“Un bel homme” !!
(… ask a silly question …)
I photcopied the picture for her and she took it away to colour-in. She returned barely 2 minutes later.
“But you haven’t finished colouring!” I exclaimed.
“Eh, non,” she replied, sighing dramatically, “je suis trop fatiguee …” !!!!!!!!!
Oh well …. from the mouthes of babes and all that ….
Catherine Broughton is a novelist, a poet and an artist. Her books are available from Amazon and Kindle or can be ordered from most leading book stores. For more about Catherine Broughton, to include her entertaining blogs and stories from around the world, go to http://www.turquoisemoon.co.uk
