This new episode of "Il était une fois..." covers Cortés and the Aztecs. The story starts in 1519, when Ferdinand Magellan attempts to circumnavigate the earth. His ship makes it as far as Brazil.

The Maestro recounts the events just before Ferdinand Magellan's untimely death in 1521, only a year after he discovered the passage that would allow him to circumnavigate the globe.

The Aztecs are apprehensive about the arrival of the white men. It is a bad omen. Spanish conqueror Cortés is appointed Captain and will be heading toward new territories.

November 18, 1518... Cortés, the ambitious adventurer, sets out to discover and conquer the unknown empire of Mexico at daybreak before Velasquez has a chance to stop him.

Cortés is negotiating with the friendly natives of Mexico with the help of his interpreter, who had been shipwrecked in a previous expedition and speaks Mayan. They are offered a young woman slave, Malintzin, who speaks Mayan and Aztec.

Cortés exchanges gifts with the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma. An excellent diplomatic move on both sides!

Tension is building between the Aztecs and the Spaniards, not to mention within Cortés's own ranks. Despite this, the conquistador rallies his troops to conquer Mexico.

Cortés sets out to conquer Mexico with his four hundred men, sixteen horses, and seven cannons. He is joined later by native forces, the Totonac warriors.

Have you ever wondered what a blood platelet actually does? Find out as the Once Upon a Time... series tackles biology.

The platelets vanquish the bacteria in the final installment of this animated series on blood. Who knew that a simple cut could be so epic?

Learn what happens when sugar and bacteria attack your teeth enamel... It's the price we have to pay for eating cake!

The battle between toothbrush and cavities ignites in this lively cartoon.

Guess what happens when little children forget to brush their teeth after eating sugar? Watch this fun cartoon and find out. You may never want to eat sugar again... unless you brush your teeth of course!

In the second episode of this animated series, we find out that not brushing one's teeth regularly can have dire consequences. The bacteria fight it out in this little boy's mouth and lose the battle, thanks to the dentist's drill.

Il était une fois... ("Once Upon a Time...") takes us back to the origins of Western civilization on the island of Crete. This lively animated series is for French learners of all ages!