Joseph Jacobs

Johnny-Cake

A little boy is left to watch a cake baking in the oven while his parents work in the garden. The moment his back is turned, the Johnny-cake leaps out of the oven and takes off rolling down the road, leaving a string of pursuers behind.

B15 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

Once upon a time there was an old man, an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Johnny-cake and put it in the oven to bake. "Watch the Johnny-cake while your father and I go out to work in the garden."

Es waren einmal ein alter Mann, eine alte Frau und ein kleiner Junge. Eines Morgens backte die alte Frau einen Johnny-Cake und schob ihn in den Ofen. „Pass auf den Johnny-Cake auf, während dein Vater und ich im Garten arbeiten.“

So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, and they left the little boy to watch the oven.

Da gingen der alte Mann und die alte Frau hinaus und begannen, Kartoffeln zu hacken, und sie ließen den kleinen Jungen zurück, damit er auf den Ofen aufpasste.

But he didn't watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise. He looked up, and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped Johnny-cake and went rolling along, end over end, toward the open door of the house.

Aber er passte nicht die ganze Zeit auf, und plötzlich hörte er ein Geräusch. Er blickte auf, die Ofentür sprang auf, und aus dem Ofen hüpfte Johnny-Cake und rollte Kopf über Kopf auf die offene Haustür zu.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

Johnny-Cake · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 850 words · ~5 min · Audio
Johnny-Cake · GermanB1 Intermediate · 816 words · ~5 min · Audio
Τζόνι-κέικ · GreekB1 Intermediate · 854 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 815 words · ~5 min · Audio
Johnny-Cake · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 998 words · ~10 min · Audio
जॉनी-केक · HindiB1 Intermediate · 952 words · ~10 min
Johnny-Cake · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 768 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 805 words · ~5 min
ジョニーケーキ · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
조니 케이크 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 591 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · DutchB1 Intermediate · 882 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · PolishB1 Intermediate · 607 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 809 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 860 words · ~5 min
Johnny-Cake · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 644 words · ~5 min
Bánh Johnny · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 1,001 words · ~10 min
约翰尼饼 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read Johnny-Cake in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. 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 English is B1 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 850 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 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.

Johnny-Cake

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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