Graded story

A2 French reading: a borrowed book contains a seed packet

Read an A2 French story about a seed packet found in a borrowed library book. Use the labelled note to distinguish sender, finder and intended recipient.

In short

The note says Pour Lila, de Karim: Lila is the intended recipient and Karim is the sender. Nina is the finder. The later discovery of Karim’s handwriting explains how the packet entered the book; finding it does not make Nina its intended recipient.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A small seed envelope rests between blank pages of an open gardening book at a library counter.
The person who finds a packet is not necessarily its intended recipient. Teaching illustration: Atelier

Read the note before following the events. It already names two roles, while the opening introduces a third person who discovers the object. The story then gives an explicit explanation rather than asking you to guess who left the packet behind.

A2 · expéditeur, découverte, destinataire

Un sachet entre deux pages

En rentrant de la bibliothèque, Nina a ouvert le livre de jardinage qu’elle venait d’emprunter. Entre deux pages, elle a trouvé un petit sachet1 de graines. Sur le devant, quelqu’un avait écrit « Tournesols ». Au dos, une note disait : « Pour Lila, de Karim. À remettre mercredi à l’atelier du jardin. »

Nina ne connaissait ni Lila ni Karim. Elle a d’abord pensé que les graines accompagnaient le livre, puis elle a relu les deux noms. Le sachet était destiné à une personne précise. Nina l’avait trouvé, mais cela ne faisait pas d’elle la destinataire2.

Le lendemain, elle a rapporté le livre et le sachet à la bibliothèque. Elle a montré la note à la personne de l’accueil. « Nous avons un atelier de jardinage mercredi », a expliqué celle-ci. « Vous pouvez laisser le sachet ici avec votre message3. » Nina a écrit où elle l’avait découvert, puis elle est repartie avec le livre.

Mercredi, Karim est arrivé pour préparer l’atelier. Il a reconnu son écriture. Il avait utilisé le sachet comme marque-page4 pendant qu’il cherchait une idée d’activité, puis l’avait oublié dans le livre. Les graines venaient de son jardin et il les avait mises de côté pour Lila.

Quand Lila est arrivée, Karim lui a remis le sachet et raconté le détour par le livre. Elle l’a remercié, ainsi que Nina dans un petit mot laissé à l’accueil. La découverte5 avait permis de retrouver l’expéditeur, puis la bonne destinataire, sans confondre leurs rôles6.

Read it in English

On returning from the library, Nina opened the gardening book she had just borrowed. Between two pages, she found a small packet of seeds. Someone had written “Sunflowers” on the front. On the back, a note said, “For Lila, from Karim. To hand over on Wednesday at the garden workshop.”

Nina knew neither Lila nor Karim. At first she thought the seeds came with the book, then reread the two names. The packet was intended for a specific person. Nina had found it, but that did not make her the recipient.

The next day, she took the book and packet back to the library. She showed the note to the person at reception. “We have a gardening workshop on Wednesday,” they explained. “You can leave the packet here with your message.” Nina wrote where she had discovered it, then left again with the book.

On Wednesday, Karim arrived to prepare the workshop. He recognised his handwriting. He had used the packet as a bookmark while looking for an activity idea, then forgotten it in the book. The seeds came from his garden and he had set them aside for Lila.

When Lila arrived, Karim handed her the packet and told her about its detour through the book. She thanked him, and also thanked Nina in a small note left at reception. The discovery had made it possible to find the sender, then the correct recipient, without confusing their roles.

Pour and de attach the names to roles

Pour Lila points to the intended recipient. De Karim identifies the sender. Nina’s name is absent from the original note because she is the person who later finds it. The Wednesday workshop supplies a meeting context; it does not change which person the packet was meant for.

Question 1No account needed
Who is the intended recipient?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Lila. Pour Lila labels the intended recipient directly.

Question 2No account needed
Why did the packet end up in the book?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Karim used it as a bookmark and forgot it.. The fourth paragraph supplies Karim’s explicit explanation.

Question 3No account needed
Which role belongs to Nina?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The finder who returns the packet. Nina discovers it while reading and leaves it at reception with an explanatory note.

When summarising, give each person one role before retelling the journey. Then describe the handovers in order. This keeps a found object’s route clear even when several names appear in one short note.