Rudyard Kipling

The Elephant’s Child

Das Elefantenkind

In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant has no trunk, only a bulgy nose as big as a boot. One young Elephant's Child, full of questions, is spanked by his aunts and uncles for asking. He sets off alone to the great grey-green Limpopo River to learn what the Crocodile has for dinner.

B120 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk. He had only a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side; but he couldn’t pick up things with it.

In den grauen Vorzeiten hatte der Elefant, o du mein Liebling, noch keinen Rüssel. Er hatte nur eine schwärzliche, knubbelige Nase, so groß wie ein Stiefel, die er von einer Seite zur anderen bewegen konnte; aber er konnte damit keine Dinge aufheben.

But there was one Elephant—a new Elephant—an Elephant’s Child—who was full of ‘satiable curtiosity, and that means he asked ever so many questions. And he lived in Africa, and he filled all Africa with his ‘satiable curtiosities.

Aber es gab einen Elefanten – einen neuen Elefanten – ein Elefantenkind –, das voller ‚sattloser Neugier war, und das bedeutet, dass es unendlich viele Fragen stellte. Und es lebte in Afrika und erfüllte ganz Afrika mit seiner ‚sattlosen Neugier.

He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, why her tail-feathers grew just so, and his tall aunt the Ostrich spanked him with her hard, hard claw.

Es fragte seine große Tante, den Strauß, warum ihre Schwanzfedern genau so wüchsen, und seine große Tante, der Strauß, verpasste ihm einen Klaps mit ihrer harten, harten Kralle.

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

Languages

The Elephant’s Child · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 2,538 words · ~20 min · Audio
Das Elefantenkind · GermanB1 Intermediate · 2,518 words · ~20 min · Audio
Το Ελεφαντάκι · GreekB1 Intermediate · 2,510 words · ~20 min
El hijo del elefante · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 2,663 words · ~20 min · Audio
L’Enfant d’éléphant · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,737 words · ~25 min · Audio
हाथी का बच्चा · HindiB1 Intermediate · 2,834 words · ~25 min
Anak Gajah · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 2,403 words · ~20 min
L’elefantino · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 2,420 words · ~20 min
ゾウの子 · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
아기 코끼리 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,804 words · ~15 min
Het Olifantenkind · DutchB1 Intermediate · 2,613 words · ~20 min
Słoniątko · PolishB1 Intermediate · 2,223 words · ~20 min
O Filho do Elefante · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 2,594 words · ~20 min
Puiul de elefant · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 2,617 words · ~20 min
Fil Çocuk · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,814 words · ~15 min
Đứa Con của Voi · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 3,326 words · ~30 min
小象的故事 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read The Elephant’s Child 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 2,538 words: around 5–30 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.

The Elephant’s Child

How it begins

Languages

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