Between the Shelves

Zwischen den Regalen

A210 minAudio

"Forty children?" said Hamid. "In my shop?"

How it begins

EnglishGerman

"Forty children?" said Hamid. "In my shop?"

„Vierzig Kinder?", hat Hamid gesagt. „In meinem Laden?"

"Every day at four. Until Christmas Eve. Only for half an hour." I held my list tight. "The hall is closed to the play. The church is too cold in the week. I have nowhere else, Hamid."

„Jeden Tag um vier. Bis Heiligabend. Nur eine halbe Stunde." Ich habe meine Liste fest gehalten. „Das Gemeindehaus ist für das Spiel geschlossen. Die Kirche ist in der Woche zu kalt. Ich habe sonst keinen Platz, Hamid."

Hamid has been on St Nicholas Square for twenty-five years, in the late shop on the corner. He looked round it slowly: the rice, the tins, the newspapers, the fridges full of milk.

Hamid ist seit fünfundzwanzig Jahren auf dem St Nicholas Square, mit seinem Laden an der Ecke. Er ist abends lange offen. Hamid hat langsam durch den Laden geschaut: der Reis, die Dosen, die Zeitungen, die Kühlschränke voll Milch.

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

Languages

Between the Shelves · English (original)A2 Easy · 880 words · ~10 min · Audio
Zwischen den Regalen · GermanA2 Easy · 912 words · ~10 min · Audio
Ανάμεσα στα ράφια · GreekA2 Easy · 844 words · ~10 min
Entre los estantes · SpanishA2 Easy · 866 words · ~10 min · Audio
Entre les rayons · FrenchA2 Easy · 1,015 words · ~10 min · Audio
अलमारियों के बीच · HindiA2 Easy · 914 words · ~10 min
Di Antara Rak-Rak · IndonesianA2 Easy · 814 words · ~10 min
Tra gli scaffali · ItalianA2 Easy · 870 words · ~10 min
たなの間で · JapaneseA2 Easy
선반 사이에서 · KoreanA2 Easy · 629 words · ~5 min
Tussen de schappen · DutchA2 Easy · 894 words · ~10 min
Między półkami · PolishA2 Easy · 744 words · ~10 min
Entre as prateleiras · PortugueseA2 Easy · 859 words · ~10 min
Între rafturi · RomanianA2 Easy · 828 words · ~10 min
Rafların Arasında · TurkishA2 Easy · 621 words · ~5 min
Giữa những cái kệ · VietnameseA2 Easy · 1,015 words · ~10 min
货架之间 · ChineseA2 Easy

Questions

Which languages can I read Between the Shelves 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 A2 Easy. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 880 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.

Between the Shelves

How it begins

Languages

Questions

More stories at this level