"Celi, which story do you want to hear tonight?" Asked Maman.

Celi grinned. "Tell me about the dancing ballerina, please."

  Her mother smiled and snuggled closer to her. It was a cold night, and the wind howled through the cracks in the little house. A few snowflakes drifted in with the wind, bringing a bit of the season inside. Maman tried her best to keep the fire going, but seldom were the small flames licking the wood enough. Not that Celi minded. She loved it when her mother piled up blankets and held her under them with warm, comforting arms.

Maman laughed. "But Celi! I've told you that story many times. Wouldn't you rather hear... La Belle et la Bete? Or The Sleeping Princess? Rapunzel?"

"Non, Maman, the Dancing Ballerina, with her music!"

"D'accord, ma belle. The Dancing Ballerina it is.

"Once upon a time, in a land far from here, lived a beautiful ballerina who danced in the moonlight..."

Guide to French words.

Maman: Mother

La Belle et la Bete: The Beauty and the Beast.

D'accord ma belle: Okay/alright, my beauty.