Classic
Der Erzähler
Saki
In each language: The Storyteller · Der Erzähler · El cuentacuentos · Le Conteur · Il narratore
On a hot afternoon, a railway carriage holds three restless children, their aunt and a bachelor stranger. When the aunt's dull story about a good little girl falls flat, the bachelor tells one of his own, about Bertha, who is horribly good, and the Prince's park of pigs.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 2,000 words · 10–15 min to read.
Read it
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.
Cada párrafo seguido de su versión en inglés, para tu lector electrónico o tablet, o un PDF en paralelo para imprimir. ¿Qué archivo necesito?
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Cómo empieza
Es war ein heißer Nachmittag, und das Eisenbahnabteil war dementsprechend schwül; der nächste Halt war Templecombe, fast eine Stunde entfernt. Die Insassen des Abteils waren ein kleines Mädchen, ein noch kleineres Mädchen und ein kleiner Junge.
It was a hot afternoon, and the railway carriage was correspondingly sultry, and the next stop was at Templecombe, nearly an hour ahead. The occupants of the carriage were a small girl, and a smaller girl, and a small boy.
Eine Tante der Kinder belegte einen Eckplatz, und der weiter entfernte Eckplatz auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite war von einem Junggesellen besetzt, der ein Fremder für ihre Gruppe war, aber die kleinen Mädchen und der kleine Junge nahmen das Abteil nachdrücklich in Beschlag.
An aunt belonging to the children occupied one corner seat, and the further corner seat on the opposite side was occupied by a bachelor who was a stranger to their party, but the small girls and the small boy emphatically occupied the compartment.
Sowohl die Tante als auch die Kinder unterhielten sich auf eine begrenzte, beharrliche Weise, die einen an die Aufmerksamkeit einer Stubenfliege erinnerte, die sich nicht entmutigen lassen will.
Both the aunt and the children were conversational in a limited, persistent way, reminding one of the attentions of a housefly that refuses to be discouraged.
Languages
- The Storyteller · English (original)1,963 words · ~10 min
- Der Erzähler · GermanB2 Intermediate · 1,884 words · ~15 min
- El cuentacuentos · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 1,948 words · ~15 min
- Le Conteur · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 2,150 words · ~15 min
- Il narratore · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 1,816 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).
- Die Geschichte von DäumlingJoseph Jacobs · B1 · 1,820 words
- Die Geschichte vom braven kleinen JungenMark Twain · B2 · 1,810 words
- Miss BrillKatherine Mansfield · B2 · 1,982 words
- Der gestiefelte KaterCharles Perrault · B2 · 1,765 words
- Der wunderbare HandwerkerJames Baldwin (1841–1925) · B1 · 2,006 words
- Der PostmeisterRabindranath Tagore · B1 · 2,017 words
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 Storyteller 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 B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 1,963 words: around 10–15 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.