Né v’chîn la p’tite histouaithe qué j’tuitînmes pouor l’Jour d’la Tuit’tie la s’maine pâssée:
Here’s the little story we tweeted for last week’s Twitterday:
— L’Office du Jèrriais (@le_jerriais) April 21, 2016
Eune fais y’avait deux cats.
Once upon a time there were two cats.
Ches deux cats – un cat et eune catte – lus en fûtent en Ville.
These two cats – male and female – went off to Town.
I’ lus en fûtent boutitchi.
They went off to shop.
Mais il’ arrivîtent en Ville trop tard.
But they arrived in Town too late.
Les boutiques ‘taient freunmées et i’ n’pûtent pon boutitchi.
The shops were shut and they were unable to shop.
“Ouaithe qué j’vînssions en Ville, j’n’avons pon peu boutitchi,” qu’les cats dîtent.
“Although we came into Town, we haven’t been able to shop,” said the cats.
I’ décidîtent d’èrvénîn en Ville un aut’ jour et d’lus arrouter d’pus bouonne heuthe.
They decided to come back to Town another day and to set out earlier.
Mais i’ fûtent èrtèrgis chu jour et acouo eune fais les boutiques lus freunmîtent d’vant qu’les cats pûssent boutitchi.
But they were delayed that day and once again the shops shut before the cats could shop.
“Dgiâtre s’sait des boutitchièrs!” qu’i’ rouaûdîtent.
“Damn shopkeepers!” they howled.
“J’voudrêmes qu’les boutiques saient ouvèrtes pus tard lé sé à seule fîn qué j’piêssons boutitchi.”
“We’d like the shops to be open later in the evening so that we can shop.”
Et les cats décidîtent d’y r’êcanchi un aut’ jour.
And the cats decided to have another go another day.
Mais las! I’ landrinnaient tant chu jour-là qué né v’là l’heuthe pâssit sans qu’les cats fîssent lus acats.
Oh no! They dawdled so much that day that the hour passed without the cats making their purchases.
Et i’ lus en r’fûtent siez ieux sans aver dêpensé un liard.
And off they went back home without having spent a farthing.
Épis né v’là Jeudi et les cats acouo eune fais à faithe en sorte qu’i’geuthîssent en Ville pouor lus boutiqu’sie.
And so Thursday came and found the cats once more making so as to turn up in Town for their shopping.
Entréchîn qu’i’ vînssent en Ville, y’avait du dro siez ieux.
In the interval before them coming to Town, they had some unfortunate happenings at home.
Les souothis pilvâtchîtent lé beurre; lé lait fut êtrueûlé; les cats vîntent mouoillis et n’pûtent pon lus entré-s’tchi.
The mice trampled the butter; the milk was spilled; the cats got wet and couldn’t dry each other.
Tchi pitchi! Les pouôrres cats!
What a pity! The poor cats!
Les cats lus adonnîtent sans beurre, sans lait, sans autcheune chose dans l’armouaithe.
The cats ended up with no butter, no milk, nothing in the cupboard.
I’ ‘tait d’mêtchi qu’i’ boutitchîssent, pouor bein qu’il’ arrivîssent en Ville d’vant qu’les boutiques lus patchîssent.
They had to shop, provided they arrived in Town before the shops packed up.
Mais qu’il’ arrivîssent en Ville, les cats fûtent ravis d’vaie qu’les boutiques ‘taient acouo ouèrtes.
As soon as they arrived in Town, the cats were surprised to see that the shops were still open.
Ouaithe qu’i’ fûsse bein tard l’sé, y’avait un fliotchet d’monde à boutitchi dans la Rue d’Driéthe.
Although it was very late in the evening, there were loads of people shopping in King Street.
“Pouortchi qu’ches boutiques sont ouèrtes à ces sé, ouaithe qu’i’ fûssent freunmées l’s aut’ sièrs?” qu’i’ miaûnîtent.
“Why are these shops open this evening, though they were closed the other evenings?” they miaowed.
“Aniet ch’est Jeudi,” qu’eune danme lus dit. “Et les Jeudis au sé en Ville des boutiques restent ouèrtes pus tard.”
“Today’s Thursday,” a lady told them. “And Thursday evenings in Town shops stay open later.”
“Et coumme tchi qué j’soummes vénus en temps pouor qu’nou n’eûsse pon freunmé boutique?” qu’les cats d’mandîtent.
“And how come we’ve come in time for them not to have shut up shop?” asked the cats.
Et la danme à r’plyitchi ès cats:
And the lady retorted to the cats:
“Pouor qu’ou pûssyiz acater!”
“So that you might buy!”
FÎN – THE END
— L’Office du Jèrriais (@le_jerriais) April 21, 2016