Which languages can I read The Frogs Who Wished for a King 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.

In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 293 words: around 5 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

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.

Classic

Die Frösche, die sich einen König wünschten

Aesop

In each language: The Frogs Who Wished for a King · Die Frösche, die sich einen König wünschten · Las ranas pidiendo rey · Les Grenouilles qui demandent un roi · Le rane che chiesero un re

Tired of governing themselves, the frogs petition Jupiter for a king who will rule them with pomp and display. He answers by throwing a huge log into the water. The frogs hide in fear at first, but soon find their new king tame, and the complaints begin again.

In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 300 words · 5 min to read.

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So fängt es an

GermanEnglish

Die Frösche waren es leid, sich selbst zu regieren.

The Frogs were tired of governing themselves.

Sie hatten so viel Freiheit, dass sie dadurch verdorben waren, und sie taten nichts anderes, als gelangweilt herumzusitzen, zu quaken und sich eine Regierung zu wünschen, die sie mit dem Pomp und der Pracht des Königtums unterhalten und sie auf eine Weise beherrschen würde, dass sie spürten, dass sie regiert wurden.

They had so much freedom that it had spoiled them, and they did nothing but sit around croaking in a bored manner and wishing for a government that could entertain them with the pomp and display of royalty, and rule them in a way to make them know they were being ruled.

Keine halbherzige Regierung für sie, erklärten sie. Also schickten sie eine Petition an Jupiter und baten um einen König.

No milk and water government for them, they declared. So they sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king.

Die ersten Absätze, so wie der Reader sie zeigt. Weiterlesen

Languages

The Frogs Who Wished for a King · English (original)293 words · ~5 min
Die Frösche, die sich einen König wünschten · GermanB1 Intermediate · 296 words · ~5 min
Las ranas pidiendo rey · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 287 words · ~5 min
Les Grenouilles qui demandent un roi · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 296 words · ~5 min
Le rane che chiesero un re · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 276 words · ~5 min

Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English

Reading it as a parallel text

A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.

Questions

Which languages can I read The Frogs Who Wished for a King 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 B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 293 words: around 5 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.