Cher Jacques
J’espère que toi et tes hommes vous allez bien. A Arras tout s’est effondré le beffroi, l’Hotel de ville,la cathédrale. Moi je suis partie vivre chez mon frère rue des Récollets. Ce matin j’ai vu les Dames françaises donner du lait aux soldats. Et hier après-midi j’ai vu passer les turcos qui partaient de la rue des Grands Vieziers pour le front.
Je t’aime.

Lettre de Marie-Josèphe à son mari
Laurine Beaudet 

The Book of  Jokes

Once upon a time, in a castle, lived a prince named Evariste who was handsome but who couldn’t laugh. One day, he asked the Duke of the Village, Alexander, to make a call to the village and help the prince to laugh for 10 golden coins. The Duke spoke long with prince Evariste and the prince was fed up.

A peasant named Timeo who was nice but poor went to the village and he heard the call and ran by the Duke but he wanted 10 golden coins. He explained the situation to the peasant but also told him that there was a knight named Ethan who was intelligent but miser who was already looking for a solution. The peasant remembers a book that his father had spoken to him about “The Book of Jokes”. He went directly to his research with his wolf, Firmin, who was hairy and who was a good player. They crossed the forest of snowflakes where they found penguins. Firmin wanted to play with them. Half an hour passed and they went to lost highlands. They passed the tall grass and the great Blue Bay Lake.

During this time, unfortunately, the knight fell into a ravine and died of thirst. At the castle, the Duke called the most famous village fool named Adrian. He was funny but stupid. He tried to make the prince laugh but im vain. Juggling, magic tricks… Nothing made him laugh.

Timeo and his companion went over the Lake and saw a mountain. They ran towards it and entered the cave of the Vordor. They saw a book illuminated by crystals. They read the title which was “The Book of Jokes”. They returned to the castle and gave the book. The prince read the first page “How to make lasagna in 7 minutes”. The peasant had wrong book but he gave the good one. The prince opened the book, and suddenly he had a giggle. The Duke gave him 10 golden coins.