The story ends with Nicolas reflecting on how wonderful it must be to have a dog – but also realizing that maybe a dog you can't control isn't much fun at all. The final line, typical of Goscinny, is something like: "Me, I think I'd rather have a cat. Or maybe a goldfish. At least they don't have to learn commands." The official English translations of Le Petit Nicolas are published by Phaidon Press (the most recent and widely available edition) and were translated by Anthea Bell – a legendary translator known for her work on Asterix , Kafka , and W.G. Sebald . Her translations are masterful: they preserve the innocence, the slightly formal but childlike voice of Nicolas, and the French cultural flavor while making it perfectly natural in English.
Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas) is a beloved series of French children's books written by René Goscinny (famous for Asterix ) and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé. First published in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the stories are told from the perspective of a young French schoolboy, Nicolas, who navigates the small but dramatic world of childhood: school, friends, parents, and mischief. le petit nicolas rex english translation
All the boys are immediately jealous and impressed. Geoffroy explains that Rex is the best-trained dog in the world and can perform tricks on command: sit, lie down, fetch, and even play dead. The story ends with Nicolas reflecting on how
He points to a man passing by (or in some versions, to the school's gardener or a lamppost) and shouts, "Attack!" Rex does nothing. The other boys laugh. Finally, Geoffroy's father arrives to pick him up. The moment Geoffroy's father calls out, "Rex, sit!" – Rex immediately sits. "Lie down!" – Rex lies down. "Play dead!" – Rex rolls over, paws in the air. At least they don't have to learn commands