Maryse Télégone Picard

Reading of the booklet: The Tree and the Bird

But one day, against all expectations, the nightingale left, abandoning the oak to join a hummingbird. He quickly said goodbye to the tree, offering no other explanation than his desire to discover the world. He didn’t dare admit that he no longer loved him and had grown tired of his protective zeal, for fear of hurting him. Although the tree knew such things were possible in this imperfect world, he had never imagined it could happen to him. Faithful by nature, he had not anticipated the separation—especially one so abrupt and sudden. Still in shock from the breakup, he let the bird go, without trying to stop him.

Now, let’s flip through another booklet...

Excerpt from the booklet: The Leech and Mister Peacock

 

Exhausted by the intensity of her emotions and the dead end of their situation, the Leech had been tempted, several times, to give up on their story. For some time now, she had been thinking about ending it — without abandoning Mister Peacock entirely. She told herself she would keep him in her heart forever. It wasn’t that she loved him any less, but she didn’t have his strength to continue a story in which she had never found peace. Besides, she didn’t know how to define this unusual relationship: should she call it an affair, or simply a friendship? And as for Mister Peacock — how should she define him? Was he her lover, her sweetheart, or simply a friend?