4 ELEMENTS

Project logo
Improve the foreign language learning and intercultural competences of adults through e-learning

The project

FOUR ELEMENTS is an initiative called to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of culture and heritage as well as to train educators working with adult learners who want to improve their skills and competences necessary in today’s EU labour market.

The project will take advantage of the potential of the common European cultural values associated to the 4 elements earth, water, air and fire) to empower adults to improve their digital, foreign language and intercultural competences.

The partnership expects to develop and deliver innovative teaching materials presented in a culturally accessible E-book consisting of European legends and stories – giving visibility to the underlying common EU values and principles, especially adapted to learners with special needs.

To achieved such objectives, partners will develop:

An interactive map: a collection of legends and stories related to earth, water, air and fire, in different EU countries.

Digital Books with national legends and stories related to the four elements.

Methodological recommendations for adult educators.

To find more information, access the Four Elements platform here.

Digital books

The nations of Europe all have rich cultures of myth and folklore which give the different regions their particular individual flavour. Here we have grouped traditional stories from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain according to the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire.

They are specially adapted to adult learners and can be used to develop language or ICT skills among your students while enhancing intercultural understanding.

Alongside the stories, this digital book contains interactive exercises and is in Easy Read format. All the material in it can be downloaded and printed. Teachers and trainers will find tips and suggestions for how to use it on the Recommendations section of this site.

European partnership

Four Elements is an Erasmus+ KA204 project designed to highlight the importance of culture and heritage at European Union level. It aims to train educators working with adult learners to enable them to acquire the skills and competences, including linguistic and digital skills and competences, required in the European labour market.

The project is coordinated by : CVO EduKempen (Belgium). The partnership also includes DomSpain Consulting (Spain), The Central Library of Võru County (Estonia), Les Apprimeurs (France), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Slovenian Third Age University (Slovenia), MyArtist (Greece).

Erasmus+ project

Erasmus logo The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Persinette

TALE

Main element: Water

Language of the original: French

Date of origin: 1698

Author: Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force

To find more information about the legend, access the Four Elements platform here.

Persinette is a fairy tale written by the French poet and novelist Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force in 1698. Alongside Charles Perrault, she participated to the development of fairy tales in France during the 17th century.

A husband and his wife want more than anything to have a child. They live next to a mean witch who has a sumptuous garden, protected by huge walls. The pregnant woman feels suddenly compelled to eat some parsley. But parsley is rare in this area and the man is left with no choice but to break into the witch’s garden where there is a multitude of herbs and fruits.

The witch catches him stealing parsley and offers him a deal: she’ll give him all the parsley he needs, if he will let her have their future baby. The man hesitates at first but ends agreeing in order to fulfil his wife’s desires.

When the woman gives birth to a baby girl, the witch comes to take the little girl and calls her "Persinette". The little girl grows up and becomes beautiful. She has extremely long blonde hair that she wears in two long braids.

When Persinette turns twelve, the witch locks her up at the top of a high tower, with no stairs or door but only a small window overlooking the village and the entire forest. Thus, when the witch wishes to join Persinette, she asks the young girl to let down her two long braids through the window and uses them as ropes to climb up the tower.

One day, a young prince, who is wandering through the woods, hears Persinette singing and is immediately enchanted by her soft and beautiful voice. However, he does not find how to get into the tower. Thus, every day, the young man goes to the tower only to hear her sing.

He witnesses, one day, how the witch manages to climb up the tower and decides to try his luck during the night. When he finally enters the tower, Persinette is afraid of this unknown person but the prince reassures her and declares his love. He leaves the princess in the early morning and promises to come the day after. Thus, every night, the prince meets Persinette and their love only grows stronger.

One day, the young girl gets pregnant and is left with no choice to tell the witch, hoping she will allow their relationship. Unfortunately, the witch gets really angry. She cuts Persinettes's long braids and sends her far away, to live in a house in a deserted area. There, the young girl gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

Then, the witch ties the two long braids to the window to mislead the prince when he comes for Persinette. Thus, when the prince starts to climb up the tower, the witch tells him that he’ll never see Persinette again and then cuts the hair. The prince falls several metres down into a bramble bush where he loses his eyesight. Now blind, the prince wanders for years, calling for his beloved one. One day, he finally hears the soft voice of Persinette and follows it until he finds her where she lives with their two children.

Persinette recognizes him and falls into his arms. She weeps with joy and her tears fall into the prince’s eyes. He instantly recovers his eyesight. Then, the prince brings Persinette to his kingdom where they lived happily ever after.

Persinette

CONTE

Élément : Eau

Langue d'origine : Français

Date d'origine : 1698

Auteur : Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force

Vous pouvez retrouver plus d'informations sur cette légende sur le site du projet ici.

Persinette est un conte écrit par la poète et romancière française Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force en 1698. Aux côtés de Charles Perrault, elle a participé à l'élaboration des contes de fées en France au cours du XVIIe siècle.

Une femme et son mari désiraient plus que tout avoir un enfant. Ils vivaient près d'un somptueux jardin, protégé par un immense mur, appartenant à une méchante sorcière. La femme, enceinte, est prise d'une très forte envie de manger du persil. Mais le persil est rare dans cette région. Alors son mari s'introduit dans le jardin de la sorcière, qui contient une multitude d’herbes et de fruits.

La sorcière le surprend et lui propose de faire un marché : elle lui donnera tout le persil dont il a besoin, s'il lui donne le futur bébé. L’homme hésite, mais finit par accepter pour subvenir aux besoins de sa femme.

Le jour de l’accouchement, comme promis, la sorcière vient récupérer la petite fille et lui donne le nom de « Persinette ». La petite fille grandit et devient extrêmement belle. Elle a de très longs cheveux blonds qu’elle coiffe en deux immenses tresses.

Le jour où Persinette atteint l'âge de douze ans, la sorcière l'enferme au sommet d'une haute tour, sans escalier ni porte, avec seulement une petite fenêtre qui donne vue sur toute la forêt et le village. Lorsque la sorcière veut monter dans la tour, elle demande à Persinette de laisser tomber ses longues tresses par la fenêtre et s’en sert alors de corde pour grimper et entrer.

Un jour, un prince qui se balade dans la forêt entend Persinette chanter et est envoûté par le joli son de sa voix. Il ne peut cependant pas pénétrer dans la tour, mais s’y rend chaque jour pour l’écouter.

Voyant un jour comment la sorcière parvient à entrer dans la tour, il décide de tenter sa chance la nuit qui suit. Lorsqu'il entre enfin dans la tour, Persinette est effrayée par la présence du prince, mais ce dernier la rassure et lui déclare son amour. Il quitte la princesse au petit matin et promet de venir la revoir le lendemain. C’est ainsi que pendant plusieurs jours, chaque soir, le prince retrouve la jeune fille et leur amour ne fait que s'accroître.

Mais un jour, la jeune fille tombe enceinte et se voit obligée de tout raconter à la sorcière, dans l’espoir que cette dernière accepte leur relation. La sorcière devient furieuse et punit la jeune fille en lui coupant ses longues tresses et en l’envoyant vivre très loin dans une maison au bord de l’eau où aucune forme de vie ne se trouve aux alentours. La jeune fille y accouche de jumeaux, un garçon et une fille.

La sorcière attache ensuite les tresses coupées à la fenêtre pour tromper le prince lorsqu'il appellera Persinette. Alors, lorsque ce dernier escalade la tour pensant retrouver la jeune fille, la sorcière lui annonce qu'il ne la reverra jamais. Elle sectionne alors les cheveux et le prince tombe dans un buisson de ronces et y perd la vue. Aveugle, il se met à errer pendant des années, appelant sa bien-aimée. Finalement, il entend un jour la douce voix de Persinette et en la suivant, finit par arriver là où la jeune fille vit avec leurs deux enfants.

Persinette le reconnaît et se met à pleurer, suspendue à son cou, heureuse de le retrouver enfin. Ses larmes coulent dans les yeux du prince et celui-ci retrouve aussitôt la vue. Le prince amène alors Persinette dans son royaume où ils vécurent heureux.

Caumont La Force, Charlotte-Rose (1650-1724). Les contes des contes. (Paris), 1698.