Joseph Jacobs

The Old Woman and Her Pig

Die alte Frau und ihr Schwein

An old woman buys a little pig at market, but on the way home it won't go over a stile. She asks a dog for help, then a stick, fire, water and more, and each one refuses, until a cat finally names its price.

B15 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. "What," she said, "shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market and buy a little pig."

Eine alte Frau fegte ihr Haus und fand ein kleines, krummes Sechspencestück. „Was soll ich nur mit diesem kleinen Sechspencestück machen?“, sagte sie. „Ich gehe zum Markt und kaufe ein kleines Schwein.“

As she was coming home, she came to a stile, but the piggy wouldn't go over the stile.

Als sie nach Hause ging, kam sie an einen Zauntritt, aber das Schweinchen wollte nicht über den Zauntritt gehen.

She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog: "Dog! Bite pig! Piggy won't go over the stile, and I won't get home tonight." But the dog wouldn't.

Sie ging ein Stück weiter und traf einen Hund. Da sagte sie zum Hund: „Hund! Beiß Schwein! Das Schweinchen will nicht über den Zauntritt gehen und ich komme heute Nacht nicht nach Hause.“ Aber der Hund wollte nicht.

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Languages

The Old Woman and Her Pig · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 705 words · ~5 min · Audio
Die alte Frau und ihr Schwein · GermanB1 Intermediate · 836 words · ~5 min · Audio
Η γριούλα και το γουρουνάκι της · GreekB1 Intermediate · 864 words · ~5 min
La anciana y su cerdo · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 826 words · ~5 min · Audio
La vieille femme et son cochon · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,036 words · ~10 min · Audio
बूढ़ी औरत और उसका सूअर · HindiB1 Intermediate · 850 words · ~5 min
Wanita Tua dan Babinya · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 738 words · ~5 min
La vecchia e il suo maialino · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 837 words · ~5 min
おばあさんとブタ · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
할머니와 돼지 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 552 words · ~5 min
Het oude vrouwtje en haar varkentje · DutchB1 Intermediate · 773 words · ~5 min
Starsza kobieta i jej świnka · PolishB1 Intermediate · 634 words · ~5 min
A Velha e o Seu Porco · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 875 words · ~5 min
Bătrâna și porcul ei · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 784 words · ~5 min
Yaşlı Kadın ve Domuzu · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 502 words · ~5 min
Bà cụ và con lợn nhỏ · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 892 words · ~5 min
老太太和她的小猪 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read The Old Woman and Her Pig 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 705 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.

The Old Woman and Her Pig

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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