I know about ten words of French but had never read the English original either, so I'm very pleased to have it brought to my notice. I loved it! Just the kind of thing Mr. Collins would do. (I wonder how long a pineapple lasts before it goes off? Presumably the rind will keep it fresh for a long time, but I can imagine an unscrupulous fruiterer hiring out a single long-dead pineapple for years as long as the exterior looks all right. Did people carve realistic-looking wooden pineapples for decoration?)