The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Retold in easy English (A2) from the novel by L. Frank Baum

The whole of L. Frank Baum’s famous novel, retold in easy English. A cyclone lifts Dorothy’s little house off the gray Kansas prairie and sets it down in the strange Land of Oz, right on top of a Wicked Witch. To get home she must follow the road of yellow brick to the Great Oz, with a Scarecrow who wants brains, a Tin Woodman who wants a heart and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. But nobody has ever seen the Wizard’s real face, and his price is terrible.

24 chapters · about 25,900 words · 15 min – 5 h 45 min to read.

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Also in: German · Greek · Spanish · French · Hindi · Indonesian · Italian · Japanese · Korean · Dutch · Polish · Portuguese · Romanian · Turkish · Vietnamese · Chinese

How it begins

EnglishGerman

The Cyclone

Der Zyklon

Dorothy lived on the great Kansas prairie with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Uncle Henry was a farmer, and their small house had only one room.

Dorothy hat auf der großen Prärie in Kansas gewohnt, bei Onkel Henry und Tante Em. Onkel Henry war Bauer, und ihr kleines Haus hatte nur ein Zimmer.

A cyclone could break any house, so the family needed somewhere to hide. There was a trap door in the middle of the floor. Under it, a ladder went down into a small, dark cellar.

Ein Zyklon konnte jedes Haus kaputt machen, deshalb hat die Familie einen Platz zum Verstecken gebraucht. In der Mitte des Fußbodens war eine Falltür. Darunter hat eine Leiter in einen kleinen, dunklen Keller hinuntergeführt.

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

Languages

All 17 editions: titles, levels and lengths

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz · English (original)A2 Easy · 25,884 words · ~4 h 45 min · Audio
Der wunderbare Zauberer von Oz · GermanA2 Easy · 27,184 words · ~5 h · Audio
Ο Θαυμάσιος Μάγος του Οζ · GreekA2 Easy · 24,884 words · ~4 h 30 min
El maravilloso mago de Oz · SpanishA2 Easy · 25,269 words · ~4 h 45 min · Audio
Le Merveilleux Magicien d’Oz · FrenchA2 Easy · 30,811 words · ~5 h 45 min · Audio
ओज़ का अद्भुत जादूगर · HindiA2 Easy · 27,685 words · ~5 h 15 min
Ahli Sihir Oz yang Menakjubkan · IndonesianA2 Easy · 22,910 words · ~4 h 15 min
Il meraviglioso mago di Oz · ItalianA2 Easy · 26,497 words · ~5 h
オズのまほうつかい · JapaneseA2 Easy
오즈의 놀라운 마법사 · KoreanA2 Easy · 18,097 words · ~3 h 15 min
De Wonderbaarlijke Tovenaar van Oz · DutchA2 Easy · 27,520 words · ~5 h
Czarnoksiężnik z Krainy Oz · PolishA2 Easy · 21,720 words · ~4 h
O Maravilhoso Mágico de Oz · PortugueseA2 Easy · 25,752 words · ~4 h 45 min
Minunatul Vrăjitor din Oz · RomanianA2 Easy · 25,699 words · ~4 h 45 min
Muhteşem Oz Büyücüsü · TurkishA2 Easy · 18,445 words · ~3 h 30 min
Phù thủy xứ Oz tuyệt vời · VietnameseA2 Easy · 29,519 words · ~5 h 30 min
绿野仙踪 · ChineseA2 Easy

Open it in the reader: all 272 language pairs

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 Wonderful Wizard of Oz in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. 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?

The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 25,884 words in 24 chapters: around 15 min – 5 h 45 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?

Only the beginning. Read it online with no account. The rest of the book, the narration and the downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) come with Reader.

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.