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Frau Holle

Brothers Grimm

In each language: Mother Holle · Frau Holle · La Madre Holle · Dame Holle · Madama Holle

A hardworking stepdaughter spins by the well until her fingers bleed. When her spindle falls in, her stepmother scolds her and tells her to fetch it herself. She jumps in after it and wakes in a sunny meadow, where an old woman with enormous teeth offers her work: shaking out her bed.

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

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How it begins

GermanEnglish

Es war einmal eine Witwe, die hatte zwei Töchter; die eine war schön und fleißig, die andere hässlich und faul.

Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them was beautiful and industrious, the other ugly and lazy.

Die Mutter aber hatte die hässliche und faule lieber, weil sie ihre eigene Tochter war, und so musste die andere, die nur ihre Stieftochter war, alle Hausarbeit verrichten und war das wahre Aschenputtel der Familie.

The mother, however, loved the ugly and lazy one best, because she was her own daughter, and so the other, who was only her stepdaughter, was made to do all the work of the house, and was quite the Cinderella of the family.

Ihre Stiefmutter schickte sie jeden Tag hinaus, um sich an den Brunnen an der Landstraße zu setzen und dort zu spinnen, bis ihr die Finger bluteten.

Her stepmother sent her out every day to sit by the well in the high road, there to spin until she made her fingers bleed.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

  • Mother Holle · English (original)1,269 words · ~5 min
  • Frau Holle · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,177 words · ~10 min
  • La Madre Holle · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,205 words · ~10 min
  • Dame Holle · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,267 words · ~10 min
  • Madama Holle · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,118 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 Mother Holle 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 1,269 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.