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Die drei Einfaltspinsel

Joseph Jacobs

In each language: The Three Sillies · Die drei Einfaltspinsel · Los tres tontos · Les Trois Nigauds · I tre sciocchi

A farmer's daughter is courted by a gentleman. One evening, sent to the cellar to draw the beer, she spots a mallet stuck in a beam and weeps at the thought of it one day killing her son. Her parents join in, and the gentleman sets off to find three bigger sillies.

In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 1,300 words · 5–10 min to read.

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Du liest links auf Deutsch. Englisch steht rechts als Hilfe, und beim Lesen kannst du es mit der Augen-Taste verwischen oder ausblenden.

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So fängt es an

GermanEnglish

Es war einmal ein Bauer und seine Frau, die hatten eine Tochter, und um die warb ein junger Herr.

Once upon a time there was a farmer and his wife who had one daughter, and she was courted by a gentleman.

Jeden Abend kam er zu Besuch und blieb zum Abendessen auf dem Bauernhof, und die Tochter wurde dann in den Keller geschickt, um das Bier für das Abendessen zu zapfen.

Every evening he used to come and see her, and stop to supper at the farmhouse, and the daughter used to be sent down into the cellar to draw the beer for supper.

Eines Abends war sie also hinuntergegangen, um das Bier zu zapfen, und während sie zapfte, schaute sie zufällig zur Decke und sah einen Holzhammer, der in einem der Deckenbalken steckte.

So one evening she had gone down to draw the beer, and she happened to look up at the ceiling while she was drawing, and she saw a mallet stuck in one of the beams.

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

Languages

  • The Three Sillies · English (original)1,335 words · ~5 min
  • Die drei Einfaltspinsel · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,304 words · ~10 min
  • Los tres tontos · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,219 words · ~10 min
  • Les Trois Nigauds · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,337 words · ~10 min
  • I tre sciocchi · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,183 words · ~10 min

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

More stories at this level

Intermediate stories in German with English beside it (all of them: Intermediate German stories).

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 Three Sillies 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 1,335 words: around 5–10 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.