For July 14: Brownies learn La Marseillaise

My mother wasn't your average Brownie troop instructor. When I was in third grade, she volunteered to help my troop do something musical--singing.

I remember we met at Paula Kalustian's house on 23rd and Idaho streets; their garage was converted into a 'rec room,' which I thought was very cool. My 8-year-old sensibility didn't think it was cool at all that my mother the pianist was teaching us to sing. She wore a form-fitting white summer dress with a red pattern (triangles? polka dots?) and wood open-toed high heeled pumps.

And she didn't teach us campfire songs. We learned French songs, for heaven's sake, including this one about a bridge in Avignon - "Sur le pont d'Avignon." She pursed her lips as the French do to make those kissable sounds, and must have urged us to do the same because I remember our exaggerated lips trying to mimic hers.

I remembered most of the first verse to this day (the rest I found on the Internet).

Sur le pont d'Avignon

Sur le pont d'Avignon

L'on y danse, l'on y danse

Sur le pont d'Avignon

L'on y danse tous en rond

Les beaux messieurs font comm' ça

Et puis encore comm' ça

As I describe this, I keep thinking it sounds like something David Sedaris wrote. My childhood, my mother.

I still remember much of the French National Anthem, La Marseillaise, because I think she taught the Brownies that song, too. In honor of the French Revolution and Bastille Day July 14, here is the first verse:

Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé, (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !

Buy a baguette or make French toast July 14.