Complete Summary of the story Two Little Soldiers
This is a story about two little soldiers who fall in love with the same girl. The story depicts the triangular love story of two soldiers named Jean and Luc with the same milkmaid.
Jean and Luc were two best friends. They were soldiers. They stayed in a barrack away from their home. So they often felt homesick. Every Sunday, to spend their holiday, they left their barrack and visited a rather peaceful location and spent their whole day there. They spoke little on their way. They often visited the countryside which reminded them of their home. To visit the place they had to cross a bridge at Bezons. They used to enjoy the scenes looking at the river.
On the way, they bought bread and wine for their lunch. As they moved forward, different natural things like tress, wheat, oat field, forest, hedges, a large stone, etc. reminded of their hometown Plounivon. Finally they reached their destination i.e. away from the city in a naturally peaceful location. That was where they spent their happy moment. They made a fire and roasted their sausages and started eating their lunch. They drank wine and lay over the green grass.
As they finished eating, they started waiting for the girl who often passed in front of them to milk her cow. Soon they saw the girl coming from a distance as usual. The sight of the girl pleased the two little soldiers. However, they never spoke to her. They just wanted to see her and that way they were enjoying a lot. Gradually, both soldiers fell in love with the milkmaid.
One day, upon seeing them frequently there, the girl asked the little soldiers if they often visited there. Jean was too shy to reply. And so Luc replied timidly that they visited there for some rest. Their first conversation finished shortly.
The next Sunday, the girl smiled kindly looking at them and understood their shyness. This time they had a bit more conversation. She even offered them some fresh milk. They drank milk and got excited with all the time they spent with the girl. The girl, promising to meet the next Sunday, left them saying goodbye. The two soldiers looked at the girl till she disappeared.
The next Sunday Jean and Luc discussed buying something as a gift to the dairymaid. They bought two candies. As usual, they started waiting for the girl. Jean noticed her coming. She smiled as she saw them. They started talking to each other. They were too shy to offer the candies they had bought for her. Finally, Luc gathered courage and said that they had bought candies. Jean took the cadies and gave her. The two soldiers were happy to see her eating the candies. This time too the girl offered them some fresh cow milk.
As time passed by, the milkmaid became the topic of their discussion. They spoke of her throughout the week. The next Sunday they spoke with her for a longer time. Now, they started enjoying each other’s company. Their friendship grew deeper. The girl brought them plums.
One Tuesday, Luc surprisingly asked for a leave from the barrack and didn’t return the barrack till ten o’clock at night. Jean doubted his friend’s changed behavior.
The next Friday Luc borrowed ten cents from one of his friends and left the barrack for several hours. When the two friends started their usual trip next Sunday, Luc looked quite strange, disturbed, and changed. Jean didn’t understand what happened but guessed that it might be the case of the milkmaid. They reached their usual location and ate slowly. After a while, the milkmaid arrived. As the girl approached them, Luc stood and went towards her. They kissed each other giving no heed to Jean.
Jean was shocked and heartbroken by the very scene. Luc and the milkmaid sat together and started talking. Now, Jean came to know the reason behind his friend’s surprising leave from the barrack. He understood that his friend had deceived him.
Luc and the girl went to see the cow and disappeared into the forest. Jean stood alone there motionless, shocked and puzzled. After a while, he saw them coming hand in hand. The girl kissed him again and went.
The two friends didn’t talk to each other. They started returning to their barrack. On the way to the barrack, as usual, they stopped for a while on the bridge and watched the water flowing by.
Jean leaned against the railing. This time he bent his body farther towards the stream and looked continuously into the stream. Luc asked him if there was anything wrong. Before he spoke anything, Jean fell into the stream and lost his life.
Luc, shocked by the very incident, cried for help. In the distance, he saw the dead body of Jean. Luc ran to the barrack and cried bitterly remembering his friend.
