Brothers Grimm

Snowdrop

Schneewittchen

Watching snow fall past her ebony window, a queen pricks her finger and wishes for a daughter as white as snow, red as blood and black as ebony. After the queen dies, the king's vain new wife asks her fairy looking-glass who is fairest in the land, until one day its answer changes.

B120 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

It was the middle of winter, and broad flakes of snow were falling all around, when the queen of a country many thousands of miles away sat sewing at her window.

Es war mitten im Winter, und dicke Schneeflocken fielen ringsumher, als die Königin eines Landes, das viele Tausend Meilen entfernt lag, an ihrem Fenster saß und nähte.

The window frame was made of fine black ebony, and as she sat looking out at the snow, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell on the frame.

Der Fensterrahmen war aus feinem schwarzem Ebenholz gemacht, und als sie hinausschaute und den Schnee betrachtete, stach sie sich in den Finger, und drei Tropfen Blut fielen auf den Rahmen.

Then she gazed thoughtfully at the red drops on the white snow and said, "I wish my little daughter could be as white as that snow, as red as that blood, and as black as this ebony window frame!"

Da blickte sie nachdenklich auf die roten Tropfen auf dem weißen Schnee und sagte: „Ich wünschte, meine kleine Tochter wäre so weiß wie dieser Schnee, so rot wie dieses Blut und so schwarz wie dieser Rahmen aus Ebenholz!“

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

Languages

Snowdrop · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 2,311 words · ~20 min · Audio
Schneewittchen · GermanB1 Intermediate · 2,258 words · ~20 min · Audio
Χιονάτη · GreekB1 Intermediate · 2,219 words · ~20 min
Blancanieves · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 2,203 words · ~20 min · Audio
Blanche-Neige · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,672 words · ~20 min · Audio
स्नोड्रॉप · HindiB1 Intermediate · 2,504 words · ~20 min
Snowdrop · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 2,030 words · ~15 min
Snowdrop · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 2,305 words · ~20 min
スノードロップ · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
스노드롭 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,602 words · ~15 min
Sneeuwwitje · DutchB1 Intermediate · 2,357 words · ~20 min
Śnieżka · PolishB1 Intermediate · 1,893 words · ~15 min
Snowdrop · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 2,266 words · ~20 min
Albă-ca-Zăpada · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 2,286 words · ~20 min
Pamuk Prenses · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,725 words · ~15 min
Nàng Bạch Tuyết · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 2,669 words · ~20 min
白雪姑娘 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read Snowdrop 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 2,311 words: around 5–20 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 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.

Snowdrop

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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