01/07/19
Frozen Charlotte
“O, DAUGHTER DEAR,” HER MOTHER CRIED,
“THIS BLANKET ’ROUND YOU FOLD;
IT IS A DREADFUL NIGHT TONIGHT,
YOU’LL CATCH YOUR DEATH OF COLD.”
“O, NAY! O, NAY!” YOUNG CHARLOTTE CRIED,
AND SHE LAUGHED LIKE A GYPSY QUEEN;
“TO RIDE IN BLANKETS MUFFLED UP,
I NEVER WOULD BE SEEN.”
Traduction adaptée:
“Ô ma chère fille,” cria sa mère
Enroule-toi dans cette couverture
Ce soir la nuit est effroyable
Tu vas geler à mort. »
« Ô, non ! Ô non ! » cria la jeune Charlotte,
Et elle se mit à rire comme une reine gitane
Voyager emmitouflée dans une couverture,
Personne ne me remarquera. »
Nous avons déjà évoqué précédemment les Frozen Charlotte.
Cet article complète donc le précédent et montre les modèles allemands (les 2 petites) et japonais (les 2 grandes)
Les « Frozen Charlotte » (Charlotte gelée)- parfois appelés bébés de bain – sont des petites poupées en biscuit, en général nues, et moulées en une seule pièce. La plupart sont d’origine allemande ou japonaise, et fabriquées depuis 1850 environ. Leur taille varie d’1 cm à 15 cm, elles sont vernies sur la partie supérieure, mais rarement sur la face postérieure (ce qui leur permet de flotter face vers le haut dans l’eau) et parfois peintes. Certaines sont moulées avec une petite robe.
Les plus petites pouvaient s’utiliser comme fèves pour le gâteau de la Fête des Rois, et d’autres se plaçaient dans des petits cercueils. Ce qui pouvait être assez « flippant » pour les enfants.
Ces poupées bon marché (penny doll) eurent beaucoup de succès, et s’utilisaient également dans les maisons de poupées.
Il existe une version masculine appelée « Frrozen Charlie »
Elles furent associées avec le poème dont nous avons donné un extrait en introduction et, dont voici le texte américain complet de YOUNG CHARLOTTE.
« 1.YOUNG CHARLOTTE LIVED BY THE MOUNTAINSIDE,
IN A LONELY, DREARY SPOT;
NO OTHER DWELLING FOR THREE MILES ROUND,
EXCEPT HER FATHER’S COT.
AND YET ON MANY A WINTER’S EVE,
YOUNG SWAINS WOULD GATHER THERE,
FOR HER FATHER KEPT A SOCIAL ABODE,
AND SHE WAS VERY FAIR
2.HER FATHER LIKED TO SEE HER DRESSED,
JUST LIKE SOME CITY BELLE;
SHE WAS THE ONLY CHILD HE HAD,
HE LOVED HIS DAUGHTER WELL.
HER HAIR WAS BLACK AS RAVEN’S WINGS,
HER SKIN WAS LILY FAIR,
AND HER TEETH WERE LIKE THE PEARLS OF WHITE,
NONE WITH HER COULD COMPARE
3.AT A VILLAGE JUST SIXTEEN MILES OFF,
THERE’S A MERRY BALL TONIGHT,
ALTHOUGH THE AIR IS FREEZING COLD,
HER HEART IS WARM AND LIGHT.
AND THERE SHE WATCHED WITH AN ANXIOUS LOOK,
‘TIL A WELL-KNOWN VOICE SHE HEARD,
AND DRIVING UP TO THE COTTAGE DOOR,
YOUNG CHARLES IN HIS SLEIGH APPEARED.
4.THE MOTHER TO HER DAUGHTER SAID,
“THESE BLANKETS ROUND YOU FOLD;
FOR IT IS A DREADFUL NIGHT, YOU KNOW,
YOU’LL CATCH YOUR DEATH OF COLD.”
“OH, NO! OH, NO!” THE DARLING CRIED,
SHE LAUGHED LIKE A GYPSY QUEEN,
“FOR TO RIDE IN BLANKETS MUFFLED UP,
I NEVER COULD BE SEEN.”
5.”MY SILKEN CLOAK, IT’S QUITE ENOUGH –
YOU KNOW IT’S LINED THROUGHOUT.
BESIDES I HAVE A SILK MANTLE,
TO TIE MY FACE ABOUT.”
THE GLOVES AND BONNET BEING ON,
THEY JUMPED INTO THE SLEIGH,
AND AWAY THEY DID RIDE O’ER THE MOUNTAINSIDE
AND THE HILLS SO FAR AWAY.
6.THERE IS MUSIC IN THE SOUNDS OF BELLS,
AS OVER THE HILLS THEY GO;
WHAT A CREAKING WAKE THE RUNNERS MAKE,
AS THEY BITE THE FROZEN SNOW.
AND AWAY THEY THEN GO SILENTLY,
‘TIL FIVE COLD MILES WERE PASSED,
AND CHARLES WITH THESE FEW FROZEN WORDS,
THE SILENCE BROKE AT LAST.
7.”SUCH A NIGHT AS THIS I NEVER KNEW,
MY LINES I SCARCE CAN HOLD.”
WITH A TREMBLING VOICE YOUNG CHARLOTTE CRIED,
“I AM EXCEEDING COLD.”
HE CRACKED THE WHIP, HE URGED HIS STEED
MUCH FASTER THAN BEFORE,
UNTIL AT LAST FIVE OTHER COLD MILES,
IN SILENCE THEY RODE O’ER.
8.”HOW VERY FAST THE FREEZING AIR
IS GATHERING ON MY BROW.”
WITH A TREMBLING VOICE YOUNG CHARLOTTE CRIED,
“I’M GROWING WARMER NOW.”
AND AWAY THEY DID RIDE O’ER THE MOUNTAINSIDE,
AND THROUGH THE PALE STAR LIGHT,
UNTIL THE VILLAGE INN THEY REACHED,
AND THE BALLROOM HOVE IN SIGHT.
9.WHEN THEY REACHED THE INN, YOUNG CHARLES JUMPED OUT,
AND GAVE HIS HAND TO HER,
“WHY SIT YOU THERE LIKE A MONUMENT,
AND HAVE NO POWER TO STIR?”
HE CALLED HER ONCE, HE CALLED HER TWICE,
SHE ANSWERED NOT A WORD;
HE CALLED ALL FOR HER HAND AGAIN,
BUT STILL SHE NEVER STIRRED.
10.HE STRIPPED THE MANTLE OFF HER BROW,
AND THE PALE STARS ON HER SHONE,
AND QUICKLY INTO THE LIGHTED HALL,
HER HELPLESS FORM WAS BORN.
THEY TRIED ALL WITHIN THEIR POWER,
HER LIFE FOR TO RESTORE,
BUT CHARLOTTE WAS A FROZEN CORPSE,
AND IS NEVER TO SPEAK MORE.
11.HE THREW HIMSELF DOWN BY HER SIDE,
AND THE BITTER TEARS DID FLOW,
HE SAID, “MY DEAR AND INTENDED BRIDE,
YOU NEVER MORE SHALL KNOW.”
HE THREW HIS ARMS AROUND HER NECK,
HE KISSED HER MARBLE BROW,
AND HIS THOUGHTS WENT BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE SHE SAID,
“I AM GROWING WARMER NOW.”
12.THEY BORE HER OUT INTO THE SLEIGH,
AND CHARLES WITH HER RODE HOME,
AND WHEN THEY REACHED THE COTTAGE DOOR,
OH, HOW HER PARENTS MOURNED!
THEY MOURNED THE LOSS OF THEIR DAUGHTER DEAR,
AND CHARLES MOURNED O’ER HER DOOM,
UNTIL AT LAST HIS HEART DID BREAK,
NOW THEY BOTH SLUMBER IN ONE TOMB.