In the French countryside, two villages, Longeverne and Velrans, were known for their rivalry. The children of these villages reflected this enmity in their daily lives. Lebrac, the clever and brave leader of the Longeverne boys, was always ready to fight for his village’s honour. His friends, Camus, Gibus, and the others, followed him with loyalty and enthusiasm.
Every day after school, the boys from Longeverne and Velrans would meet in the fields to battle.
These battles were not ordinary fights. They had a unique rule: the boys would try to capture buttons from each other’s clothes. Losing a button was a great humiliation.
The winners would return home, proudly showing off their trophies. The losers, on the other hand, would face their parents’ anger for coming back with torn clothes.
One afternoon, Lebrac gathered his friends. They needed a new strategy to defeat the Velrans once and for all. The boys listened attentively, knowing that Lebrac always had the best ideas.
They would set traps along the path the Velrans used to reach the battlefield. Camus would hide behind the bushes and signal when the Velrans approached. Gibus and Lebrac would flank them from both sides.
They spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for the big battle. They dug small holes and covered them with branches and leaves. They sharpened sticks and placed them strategically around the battlefield.
On the other side, the Velrans boys, led by Aztec des Gués, were also planning their own strategies. Aztec was just as clever and determined as Lebrac, and he had the loyalty of his group. They knew they had to be vigilant and ready for any surprise from the Longeverne boys.
The next day, the Longeverne boys arrived early and took their positions. Camus hid behind the bushes, peering through the leaves. It wasn’t long before he saw the Velrans approaching. He signalled Lebrac, who gave a silent nod to Gibus. The trap was set.
As the Velrans arrived, they suddenly found themselves walking into holes and tripping over sticks. The Longeverne boys sprang from their hiding places, catching the Velrans by surprise. Buttons flew off jackets and shirts as the two groups clashed. Lebrac moved quickly, his hands skillfully grabbing buttons while avoiding his enemies.
Aztec des Gués, trying to maintain control, shouted commands to his friends. The Longeverne boys were too well-prepared, and despite their best efforts, the Velrans were overwhelmed.
The battle was intense, but the Longeverne boys had the advantage. By the end of the day, they had captured more buttons than ever before. The Velrans boys, defeated and humiliated, returned to their village.
That evening, Lebrac and his friends examined their collection of buttons. They had finally defeated the Velrans, but Lebrac warned that they must stay vigilant. The Velrans would want revenge, and they had to be ready.
At school, the teachers were upset with the boys and their constant fighting. They would rather see the boys focus on studying and behave properly. However, the boys were preoccupied with their battles and were always looking for new ways to surprise the Velrans gang, led by Aztec des Gués.
Days passed, and the Velrans did not return to the battlefield. The Longeverne boys continued their adventures.
Meanwhile, the parents in both villages were getting more and more frustrated with the children’s constant fighting and ruined clothes. They decided to stop the their war.
Then, one day, news spread that the Velrans were preparing for a final, decisive battle. The Longeverne boys, led by Lebrac, also prepared for the battle.
On the day of the battle, the Longeverne and Velrans boys met in the fields, both determined to win. Buttons flew off, and clothes were torn in the struggle. Just as the battle reached its peak, the adults from both villages arrived, alerted by the noise and chaos.
The parents, fed up with the fighting and the damaged clothes, intervened. They separated the boys, ending the battle. Enough was enough. The boys had to stop their war.
The boys knew their parents were right. The war had gone too far.
The parents punished the boys severely, telling them they couldn’t fight anymore and making them fix their clothes. The boys spent hours sewing buttons back onto their shirts and repairing the holes in their trousers.
Reluctantly, the boys agreed to stop their battles. Lebrac and his friends felt a mixture of relief and sadness. Their adventures had come to an end.
