Little Nicholas (Le petit Nicolas: Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux?)

Hey! Watch it!

Stop it!

Stop!

You OK, Jean-Jacques?

It's not funny, René.

I nearly died getting here on time.

Have a drink, that'll help.

Yeah, you're right.

Michel!

Mr. Sempé!

Did you see the football match on telly last night?

Of course I did! What a match!

Only the Reds could hit the back of the net like that.

You're not wrong!

What can I get you? - Well…

A glass of Red?

Mr. Goscinny's always good for a laugh.

OK, a glass of red. Thanks, Michel.

Is this for the paper?

Yeah.

This one is fun. - Which one?

This one.

Yeah, I like him.

Actually I wanted to tell you-

I'm developing him for the Sunday edition.

You know writing isn't really my thing.

But you're a wizard with words.

Maybe the two of us could collaborate.

Yeah, if you'd like to. But how?

You write the stories, I'll draw them. Two pals working together.

Great, right?

Yeah, you're right.

Does he have a name?

Well, I was thinking…

No, I don't know.

Watch your backs! Here you are.

What talent! - At your service.

Nicholas.

Nicholas.

Let me think. "Nicholas."

Yeah, it suits him.

OK, then!

The Amazing Adventures of Nicholas!

Yeah. Or maybe…

we could just call it Little Nicholas.

Right. Much better.

Here's to Little Nicholas!

Happy As Can Be

Right. So…

Here's what we've got so far. Little Nicholas.

Not bad, right? - Yeah.

Don't you like it?

Yes, of course. It's brilliant.

But it's not enough.

He looks lonely on that blank page.

You know what's missing?

A football! - Parents.

Right. Parents, of course. Hang on, I have an idea.

What he needs, if you ask me, is parents who are smart and respectable.

The dad should look like this.

And the mother? She's totally extravagant! Stunning!

Not exactly funny, is it?

Do you know any Classics professors who are married to harpists?

No, you're right. Not many.

I don't see it like that.

To me, Nicholas isn't bourgeois. He's an ordinary Parisian.

Yeah! And he should live in… - Wait! I know.

Exactly!

A little house in the suburbs.

Same for the parents. They're more like…

I don't know, a tie salesman and an accountant.

A teacher and a mechanic?

Anyway,

the simpler the better.

Yeah. I get it.

How's that? They're not too normal?

Not at all! That's exactly right.

They're perfect.

I'll take this…

for inspiration.

Good work, old chum!

I'll get to work and call you later.

This is going to be fun!

I can't believe it.

How could it happen so suddenly?

René, it can't be true.

What do I do with Nicholas, now?

Should I tell him, or not?

"We'd been waiting a while…"

"We'd been waiting a while…"

"Finally! At long last."

Would you say that? "At long last"?

I don't know. What's it for?

I'm looking for a title. You know…

Yeah? We're really getting one?

Yeah, I thought that…

Wait. That's good!

Yeah! We're really getting one!

Just like my cousin's.

My cousin is bottom of his class,

but he's only bottom because he's bad at Maths,

History, Grammar, Geography…

He's better at drawing. He's only second-bottom.

Because the kid below him is left-handed!

That's good!

At first, Dad was having none of it. - Wait. Not so fast.

Yeah! We're really getting one!

At first Dad was having none of it.

He said it'd distract me from my work. That I'd be bottom of the class.

He said our family would never talk and would stop reading books.

Then Mum said it wasn't such a bad idea, so Dad bought one.

The television set!

It's incredible!

Television for you?

Hello, sir. This way, please.

Blédurt!

Blédurt!

Can't a man work in peace?

Yes, my dearest neighbour?

Come and see my television set!

That's a very small screen.

A small screen? Are you crazy?

It's at least 20 inches.

You're just jealous.

Me, jealous? I have a piano, sir!

I have recordings of classical music!

And I have books, sir!

Yeah, sure! You're just jealous, end of story!

Oh, yeah? - Yeah!

Is this going to take long?

I have other deliveries, you know.

Hello, sir! - Ma'am.

So…

Where shall we put the television set?

Make up your mind, dear. It looks heavy.

It is!

Let's see.

On the corner table. Here!

Certainly not.

I use that table for serving tea to friends.

It could go in my room.

The bedroom?

Not easy, is it?

No, it's not.

Here!

Come on! Make up your mind.

Yes, quickly, or I'll drop it.

Here.

It's so brilliant!

We can watch football matches, westerns,

and all those big, ugly wrestlers.

Welcome to Reading For All.

My guests tonight are Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny.

Good evening. - Good evening.

Now, tell me,

why are you both here with us tonight?

It's raining.

It's raining. We didn't know what to do.

Yes, but isn't there a little boy you want to tell us about?

Good point.

Shall we tell him about Nicholas?

Yes, it's a long story.

Little Nicholas first appeared in the paper, Sud-Ouest.

Then we turned it into a comic that was fairly successful.

Finally it became a series of graphic novels.

That's me!

You know them? - They created me.

This TV is turning our son's brain to mush.

What's the point in having a TV if they only talk about books?

I mean, really!

301 cars will compete in the 24h du Mans…

Racing cars are brilliant!

…3,000 spectators and a 13 km circuit…

Hello?

Hello, Mother!

Nicholas! It's Nanna!

Hello, Nanna.

Lots of love, sweetie. See you on Sunday.

Great!

I really love my Nanna.

She gives me presents and laughs at everything I say.

She says I'm very clever and very funny.

And that I am just like Mum was at my age.

Dad was also happy to hear Nanna was coming.

He said, "Oh, yeah, bravo!"

"Just what I was hoping for!"

Here she is!

Coo-ee! It's me!

Hello, Nanna!

I don't know why Dad was so happy.

He and Nanna are always arguing.

Coo-ee!

Hello, Mother!

Nanna!

Oh, my poppet! Give me a kiss.

What's in this thing? An anvil?

What did you bring me?

Nicholas! Where are your manners?

Really, young man!

This poor boy doesn't have much fun.