Classic
Hans und die Bohnenranke
Joseph Jacobs
In each language: Jack and the Beanstalk · Hans und die Bohnenranke · Jack y las habichuelas mágicas · Jack et le Haricot magique · Jack e la pianta di fagioli
When the family's only cow stops giving milk, Jack swaps her with a strange old man for a few odd-looking beans. His furious mother throws them out of the window, but by morning a huge beanstalk has grown up to the sky, and Jack climbs it.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 2,400 words · 15–20 min to read.
Read it
Tu lis en allemand, à gauche. À droite, tu as le texte en anglais pour t’aider ; pendant la lecture, le bouton en forme d’œil le floute ou le masque.
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Comment ça commence
Es war einmal eine arme Witwe, die einen einzigen Sohn namens Hans hatte und eine Kuh namens Milchweiß. Und alles, wovon sie leben konnten, war die Milch, die die Kuh jeden Morgen gab, die sie zum Markt trugen und verkauften.
There was once upon a time a poor widow who had an only son named Jack, and a cow named Milky-white. And all they had to live on was the milk the cow gave every morning which they carried to the market and sold.
Aber eines Morgens gab Milchweiß keine Milch mehr und sie wussten nicht, was sie tun sollten.
But one morning Milky-white gave no milk and they didn't know what to do.
„Was sollen wir nur tun, was sollen wir nur tun?“, sagte die Witwe und rang die Hände.
“What shall we do, what shall we do?” said the widow, wringing her hands.
Languages
- Jack and the Beanstalk · English (original)2,435 words · ~15 min
- Hans und die Bohnenranke · GermanB1 Intermediate · 2,361 words · ~20 min
- Jack y las habichuelas mágicas · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 2,305 words · ~20 min
- Jack et le Haricot magique · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,626 words · ~20 min
- Jack e la pianta di fagioli · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 2,202 words · ~20 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 Jack and the Beanstalk 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 2,435 words: around 15–20 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.