LIRABELLE - Un amour sucre salé

Véronique Deroide - Evelyne Mary

à Sylvie V. mon amie, ma sœur Véronique Deroide

A sweet and salty love story

Lirabelle www.lirabelle.fr

Once upon a time there was a little house made of salt.

All made of salt from the bottom to the top, from the door to the chimney pot.

In the house of salt there lived an old man.

All made of salt.

His feet of salt, his beard, his mouth, his hair of salt.

He was called Grampy Salt.

With Grampy Salt, in the house of salt, there lived a little old lady.

Made of sugar.

Hands of sugar, cheeks, a mouth, a nose of sugar.

She was called Granny Sugar.

In the house of salt, Grampy Salt and Granny Sugar Lived in complete happiness !

Loved in total tenderness !

People who were passing by heard cuddles, cooing, my oh my‌ such sweet endearments, honey-pie and little kisses flying by.

But sometimes, and in any season, suddenly, without rhyme or reason, voices raised in anger shout ugly words that fly about, words with claws that tear and scratch !

“You snake, you rat !

Why did you do that ?”

And on and on, and more like that…

One day, there was a very big fight.

Said Grampy Salt : “Now from today you’ll go away !

You must go and I shall stay !

You in your house, me in mine !”

Granny Sugar outside, alone, sad and empty, heart of stone, just walked away, felling hollow carrying her load of sorrow.

One step, two steps‌

She built herself a house of cement where she could weep herself to sleep.

Cry little granny sweet !

Cry so hard, Cry so much that the sky itself fears she will melt “Help her we must : clouds and wind come at my bidding !”

And the sky weeps with her.

Splish, splash it’s pouring down !

Splish, splash it’s pouring down !

It’s raining on the house of salt.

“Mamamia ! My house is melting ! Help !

From the door to the chimney pot !

Oh dear, it serves me right !”

Run Grampy Salt !

Run, still in your pyjamas !

Run to just around the corner place your mouth against the door and murmur softly words of balm, forgive me, words that open arms, words to make clouds run and hide‌ and now the door is open wide !

And so they come back to each other kiss and hug and cling together, one long kiss with mouths so close that when they stop, guess what…

Grampy’s salty mouth was sweet and Granny’s sweet mouth all of salt !

Love is not so complicated.

It’s sweet and salty, salty sweet, but mostly it’s just compromise that lets you win the sweetest prize…

Two hearts that, like one, can beat.

© 2010, Véronique Deroide et Lirabelle pour le texte © 2010, Evelyne Mary et Lirabelle pour les illustrations. © 2012, Alison Taylor pour le texte en anglais.

Reproduction interdite, quel qu’en soit le procédé, sans autorisation expresse de l’éditeur.

Achevé d’imprimer sur les presses de Delta Color (Nîmes) en Décembre.

Le tirage initial est de 1 500 exemplaires.

Isbn ean

2-914216-41-6 9782914216418

Prix en France : 15 €