Classic
Sredni Vashtar
Saki
Ten-year-old Conradin is told by the doctor that he will not live another five years, and his cousin and guardian, Mrs. De Ropp, agrees. In a disused tool-shed in a forgotten corner of the garden he keeps a hen and a polecat-ferret, and the ferret, kept secret from her, is his god.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 1,800 words · 10–15 min to read.
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So fängt es an
Conradin war zehn Jahre alt, und der Arzt hatte sein fachmännisches Urteil abgegeben, dass der Junge keine weiteren fünf Jahre leben würde.
Conradin was ten years old, and the doctor had pronounced his professional opinion that the boy would not live another five years.
Der Arzt war aalglatt und kraftlos und hatte wenig zu sagen, aber seine Meinung wurde von Frau de Ropp unterstützt, die so gut wie alles zu sagen hatte.
The doctor was silky and effete, and counted for little, but his opinion was endorsed by Mrs. de Ropp, who counted for nearly everything.
Frau de Ropp war Conradins Cousine und Vormund, und in seinen Augen repräsentierte sie jene drei Fünftel der Welt, die notwendig, unangenehm und real sind; die anderen zwei Fünftel, in ständigem Gegensatz zu den vorgenannten, erschöpften sich in ihm selbst und seiner Vorstellungskraft.
Mrs. De Ropp was Conradin's cousin and guardian, and in his eyes she represented those three-fifths of the world that are necessary and disagreeable and real; the other two-fifths, in perpetual antagonism to the foregoing, were summed up in himself and his imagination.
Languages
- Sredni Vashtar · English (original)1,786 words · ~10 min
- Sredni Vashtar · GermanB2 Intermediate · 1,732 words · ~10 min
- Sredni Vashtar · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 1,808 words · ~10 min
- Sredni Vashtar · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 1,886 words · ~15 min
- Sredni Vashtar · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 1,748 words · ~10 min
Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English
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Reading it as a parallel text
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Questions
- Which languages can I read Sredni Vashtar in?
- English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
- What level is it?
- In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 1,786 words: around 10–15 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.
- Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?
- Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.