Which languages can I read The Story of the Good Little Boy 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.

In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 1,892 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.

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.

Classic

Die Geschichte vom braven kleinen Jungen

Mark Twain

In each language: The Story of the Good Little Boy · Die Geschichte vom braven kleinen Jungen · La historia del buen niño · L’histoire du bon petit garçon · La storia del bravo ragazzino

Jacob Blivens models his whole life on the impossibly virtuous boys in his Sunday-school books, certain that goodness always gets rewarded exactly as it does in print. Every time he tries to act out one of those tidy little morals in real life, though, things go wrong in ways no book ever warned him about.

In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 1,900 words · 10–15 min to read.

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Come comincia

GermanEnglish

Es war einmal ein braver kleiner Junge namens Jacob Blivens. Er gehorchte seinen Eltern immer, egal wie absurd und unvernünftig ihre Forderungen auch waren; er lernte immer seine Lektionen und kam nie zu spät zur Sonntagsschule.

Once there was a good little boy by the name of Jacob Blivens. He always obeyed his parents, no matter how absurd and unreasonable their demands were; and he always learned his book, and never was late at Sabbath-school.

Er schwänzte nie die Schule, selbst wenn sein gesunder Menschenverstand ihm sagte, dass dies das Klügste wäre, was er tun könnte. Keiner der anderen Jungen konnte sich einen Reim auf ihn machen, so seltsam verhielt er sich. Er log nicht, egal wie praktisch es auch gewesen wäre.

He would not play hookey, even when his sober judgment told him it was the most profitable thing he could do. None of the other boys could ever make that boy out, he acted so strangely. He wouldn't lie, no matter how convenient it was.

Er sagte einfach, es sei falsch zu lügen, und das genügte ihm. Und er war so ehrlich, dass er schlichtweg lächerlich wirkte. Die sonderbaren Angewohnheiten, die dieser Jacob hatte, übertrafen alles.

He just said it was wrong to lie, and that was sufficient for him. And he was so honest that he was simply ridiculous. The curious ways that that Jacob had, surpassed everything.

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Languages

The Story of the Good Little Boy · English (original)1,892 words · ~10 min
Die Geschichte vom braven kleinen Jungen · GermanB2 Intermediate · 1,810 words · ~10 min
La historia del buen niño · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 1,805 words · ~10 min
L’histoire du bon petit garçon · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 1,993 words · ~15 min
La storia del bravo ragazzino · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 1,772 words · ~10 min

Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English

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 Story of the Good Little Boy 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 1,892 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.