Classic
Die alte Frau und ihr Schweinchen
Joseph Jacobs
In each language: The Old Woman and Her Pig · Die alte Frau und ihr Schweinchen · La anciana y su cerdito · La vieille femme et son cochon · La vecchia e il suo maialino
An old woman buys a little pig at market, but on the way home it won't go over a stile. She asks a dog for help, then a stick, fire, water and more, and each one refuses, until a cat finally names its price.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 700 words · 5–10 min to read.
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Lees en alemán, a la izquierda. A la derecha tienes el inglés para ayudarte; mientras lees, el botón del ojo lo difumina o lo oculta.
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Eine alte Frau fegte ihr Haus und fand einen kleinen, krummen Sechspfennig. „Was“, sagte sie, „soll ich mit diesem kleinen Sechspfennig anfangen? Ich werde auf den Markt gehen und ein kleines Schweinchen kaufen.“
An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.”
Als sie auf dem Heimweg war, kam sie an einen Zauntritt, aber das Schweinchen wollte nicht über den Zauntritt gehen.
As she was coming home, she came to a stile: but the piggy wouldn't go over the stile.
Sie ging ein Stück weiter und traf einen Hund. Da sagte sie zum Hund: „Hund! Beiß das Schwein; das Schweinchen will nicht über den Zauntritt gehen; und ich komme heute Nacht nicht nach Hause.“ Aber der Hund wollte nicht.
She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog: “Dog! bite pig; piggy won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.” But the dog wouldn't.
Languages
- The Old Woman and Her Pig · English (original)693 words · ~5 min
- Die alte Frau und ihr Schweinchen · GermanB1 Intermediate · 832 words · ~5 min
- La anciana y su cerdito · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 818 words · ~5 min
- La vieille femme et son cochon · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,011 words · ~10 min
- La vecchia e il suo maialino · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 789 words · ~5 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
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 Old Woman and Her Pig 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 693 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.