Das Hüttenbuch
The Hut Book
In an old hut book high above Arolla, twelve-year-old Noemi finds a child's message from 1974: something hidden "under the third stone", an apology that was never answered, and a page torn out right after it. While she and her young cousin Timeo search the cairns on the moraine, fog rolls in, and the silent old mountain guide on the terrace seems to know far more than he admits.
B21 h
How it begins
Neunhundert Höhenmeter
Nine Hundred Metres Up
Der Helikopter hob ab, und mit ihm verschwanden zu meiner Bestürzung meine Schokolade, mein Schlafsack und alle meine Pläne für eine gemütliche Woche. Ich hatte ihn nämlich in das falsche Netz gelegt, meinen Rucksack, und nun flog er mit sechzig Kilo Kartoffeln, zwei Gasflaschen und einem Sack Mehl zur Tsarmine-Hütte hinauf. Ich stand mit leeren Händen auf dem Parkplatz von Arolla. Tante Rosa stemmte die Hände in die Hüften und lachte so unverhohlen, dass sich ein Murmeltier am Wegrand pfeifend in seinen Bau verkroch. Meine Missbilligung störte sie nicht im Geringsten. «Schau nicht so missmutig», sagte sie. «Hier oben ist schlechte Laune schwerer als jeder Rucksack.»
The helicopter lifted off, and with it, to my dismay, went my chocolate, my sleeping bag and all my plans for a cosy week. I had put it in the wrong net, you see, my rucksack, and now it was flying up to the Tsarmine Hut along with sixty kilos of potatoes, two gas bottles and a sack of flour. I stood empty-handed in the car park at Arolla. Aunt Rosa put her hands on her hips and laughed so openly that a marmot by the path whistled and crept into its burrow. My disapproval didn't bother her in the least. "Don't look so glum," she said. "Up here a bad mood weighs more than any rucksack."
«Wunderbar», sagte sie. «Dann trägst du heute wenigstens nichts. Morgen trägst du dafür doppelt.»
"Wonderful," she said. "At least you won't be carrying anything today. Tomorrow you'll carry double."
Languages
- Das Hüttenbuch · German (original)B2 Intermediate · 9,014 words · ~1 h
- The Hut Book · EnglishB2 Intermediate · 9,793 words · ~1 h · Audio
Questions
Which languages can I read Das Hüttenbuch in?
German and English. 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 German is B2 Intermediate. In translation, English is B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.
How long is it?
About 9,014 words in 11 chapters: around 1 h 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 downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.
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.