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Jean de Brunhoff
1899-1937

Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant (The Story of Babar), Maquette

ca. 1930-1931
8 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches (21 x 16 cm)

Gift of Laurent, Mathieu, and Thierry de Brunhoff, and purchased with the assistance of The Florence Gould Foundation and the Acquisitions Fund, Fellows Endowment Fund, Gordon N. Ray Fund, and the Heineman Fund, 2004

MA 6304
Translation: 

Babar the little elephant is riding happily on his mother's back one day when a hunter shoots from a blind and kills Mother Elephant. Babar cries.

Transcription: 

Babar le petit éléphant se promène un jour très heureux sur le dos de sa maman quand lorsqu'un chasseur à l'affût tire et tue maman éléphant. Babar pleure.

Published version: 

Babar se promène très heureux sur le dos de sa maman, quand un vilain chasseur, caché derrière un buisson, tire sur eux. Le chasseur a tué la maman. Le singe se cache, les oiseaux s'envolent, Babar pleure. Le chasseur court pour attraper le pauvre Babar.

Babar is riding happily on his mother's back when a wicked hunter, hidden behind a bush, shoots at them. The hunter has killed Babar's mother. The monkey hides, the birds fly away, Babar cries. The hunter runs up to catch poor Babar.