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Charles Perrault

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood

Dornröschen im Wald

At a princess's christening, an uninvited old fairy curses the baby to die by a spindle, a doom a younger fairy can only soften into a hundred years of sleep. Despite a kingdom-wide ban on spindles, the grown princess wanders into a tower room where an old woman sits alone, spinning.

C120 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

Once there were a King and a Queen who were so sad that they had no children, so sad that words cannot describe it. They went to every spring and spa in the world. They made vows and went on pilgrimages. They tried everything, but nothing worked.

Es waren einmal ein König und eine Königin, die so traurig darüber waren, keine Kinder zu haben, dass Worte es kaum beschreiben können. Sie reisten zu allen Quellen und Bädern der Welt. Sie legten Gelübde ab und unternahmen Wallfahrten. Sie versuchten alles, doch nichts half.

At last, however, the Queen became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter.

Schließlich wurde die Königin jedoch schwanger und brachte eine Tochter zur Welt.

There was a very fine christening, and the Princess had as her godmothers all the fairies they could find in the whole kingdom (they found seven), so that each of them could give her a gift, as was the custom of fairies in those days, and so that the Princess would have every perfection imaginable.

Man richtete eine prächtige Taufe aus, und die Prinzessin erhielt alle Feen, die man im ganzen Königreich finden konnte (man fand sieben), als Taufpatinnen. Jede sollte ihr eine Gabe schenken, wie es damals Brauch der Feen war, damit die Prinzessin jede denkbare Vollkommenheit besäße.

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

Languages

  • The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood · English (original)C1 Advanced · 3,656 words · ~20 min · Audio
  • Dornröschen im Wald · GermanC1 Advanced · 3,474 words · ~20 min · Audio
  • Η ωραία κοιμωμένη του δάσους · GreekC1 Advanced · 3,528 words · ~20 min
  • La bella durmiente del bosque · SpanishC1 Advanced · 3,550 words · ~20 min · Audio
  • La Belle au bois dormant · FrenchC1 Advanced · 3,757 words · ~20 min · Audio
  • जंगल की सोती हुई सुंदरी · HindiC1 Advanced · 4,023 words · ~20 min
  • Putri Tidur di Tengah Hutan · IndonesianC1 Advanced · 3,339 words · ~20 min
  • La bella addormentata nel bosco · ItalianC1 Advanced · 3,451 words · ~20 min
  • 森の眠り姫 · JapaneseC1 Advanced
  • 숲속의 잠자는 미녀 · KoreanC1 Advanced · 2,385 words · ~15 min
  • De schone slaapster in het bos · DutchC1 Advanced · 3,673 words · ~20 min
  • Śpiąca królewna w lesie · PolishC1 Advanced · 2,842 words · ~15 min
  • A Bela Adormecida no Bosque · PortugueseC1 Advanced · 3,432 words · ~20 min
  • Frumoasa adormită din pădure · RomanianC1 Advanced · 3,464 words · ~20 min
  • Ormandaki Uyuyan Güzel · TurkishC1 Advanced · 2,562 words · ~15 min
  • Người đẹp ngủ trong rừng · VietnameseC1 Advanced · 4,577 words · ~25 min
  • 睡美人 · ChineseC1 Advanced

German with English · Greek with English · English with German · English with Greek · English with Spanish · English with French · English with Hindi · English with Indonesian · English with Italian · English with Japanese · English with Korean · English with Dutch · English with Polish · English with Portuguese · English with Romanian · English with Turkish · English with Vietnamese · English with Chinese · Spanish with English · French with English · Hindi with English · Indonesian with English · Italian with English · Japanese with English · Korean with English · Dutch with English · Polish with English · Portuguese with English · Romanian with English · Turkish with English · Vietnamese with English · Chinese with English · German with Greek · German with Spanish · German with French · German with Hindi · German with Indonesian · German with Italian · German with Japanese · German with Korean · German with Dutch · German with Polish · German with Portuguese · German with Romanian · German with Turkish · German with Vietnamese · German with Chinese · Greek with German · Greek with Spanish · Greek with French · Greek with Hindi · Greek with Indonesian · Greek with Italian · Greek with Japanese · Greek with Korean · Greek with Dutch · Greek with Polish · Greek with Portuguese · Greek with Romanian · Greek with Turkish · Greek with Vietnamese · Greek with Chinese · Spanish with German · Spanish with Greek · Spanish with French · Spanish with Hindi · Spanish with Indonesian · Spanish with Italian · Spanish with Japanese · Spanish with Korean · Spanish with Dutch · Spanish with Polish · Spanish with Portuguese · Spanish with Romanian · Spanish with Turkish · Spanish with Vietnamese · Spanish with Chinese · French with German · French with Greek · French with Spanish · French with Hindi · French with Indonesian · French with Italian · French with Japanese · French with Korean · French with Dutch · French with Polish · French with Portuguese · French with Romanian · French with Turkish · French with Vietnamese · French with Chinese · Hindi with German · Hindi with Greek · Hindi with Spanish · Hindi with French · Hindi with Indonesian · Hindi with Italian · Hindi with Japanese · Hindi with Korean · Hindi with Dutch · Hindi with Polish · Hindi with Portuguese · Hindi with Romanian · Hindi with Turkish · Hindi with Vietnamese · Hindi with Chinese · Indonesian with German · Indonesian with Greek · Indonesian with Spanish · Indonesian with French · Indonesian with Hindi · Indonesian with Italian · Indonesian with Japanese · Indonesian with Korean · Indonesian with Dutch · Indonesian with Polish · Indonesian with Portuguese · Indonesian with Romanian · Indonesian with Turkish · Indonesian with Vietnamese · Indonesian with Chinese · Italian with German · Italian with Greek · Italian with Spanish · Italian with French · Italian with Hindi · Italian with Indonesian · Italian with Japanese · Italian with Korean · Italian with Dutch · Italian with Polish · Italian with Portuguese · Italian with Romanian · Italian with Turkish · Italian with Vietnamese · Italian with Chinese · Japanese with German · Japanese with Greek · Japanese with Spanish · Japanese with French · Japanese with Hindi · Japanese with Indonesian · Japanese with Italian · Japanese with Korean · Japanese with Dutch · Japanese with Polish · Japanese with Portuguese · Japanese with Romanian · Japanese with Turkish · Japanese with Vietnamese · Japanese with Chinese · Korean with German · Korean with Greek · Korean with Spanish · Korean with French · Korean with Hindi · Korean with Indonesian · Korean with Italian · Korean with Japanese · Korean with Dutch · Korean with Polish · Korean with Portuguese · Korean with Romanian · Korean with Turkish · Korean with Vietnamese · Korean with Chinese · Dutch with German · Dutch with Greek · Dutch with Spanish · Dutch with French · Dutch with Hindi · Dutch with Indonesian · Dutch with Italian · Dutch with Japanese · Dutch with Korean · Dutch with Polish · Dutch with Portuguese · Dutch with Romanian · Dutch with Turkish · Dutch with Vietnamese · Dutch with Chinese · Polish with German · Polish with Greek · Polish with Spanish · Polish with French · Polish with Hindi · Polish with Indonesian · Polish with Italian · Polish with Japanese · Polish with Korean · Polish with Dutch · Polish with Portuguese · Polish with Romanian · Polish with Turkish · Polish with Vietnamese · Polish with Chinese · Portuguese with German · Portuguese with Greek · Portuguese with Spanish · Portuguese with French · Portuguese with Hindi · Portuguese with Indonesian · Portuguese with Italian · Portuguese with Japanese · Portuguese with Korean · Portuguese with Dutch · Portuguese with Polish · Portuguese with Romanian · Portuguese with Turkish · Portuguese with Vietnamese · Portuguese with Chinese · Romanian with German · Romanian with Greek · Romanian with Spanish · Romanian with French · Romanian with Hindi · Romanian with Indonesian · Romanian with Italian · Romanian with Japanese · Romanian with Korean · Romanian with Dutch · Romanian with Polish · Romanian with Portuguese · Romanian with Turkish · Romanian with Vietnamese · Romanian with Chinese · Turkish with German · Turkish with Greek · Turkish with Spanish · Turkish with French · Turkish with Hindi · Turkish with Indonesian · Turkish with Italian · Turkish with Japanese · Turkish with Korean · Turkish with Dutch · Turkish with Polish · Turkish with Portuguese · Turkish with Romanian · Turkish with Vietnamese · Turkish with Chinese · Vietnamese with German · Vietnamese with Greek · Vietnamese with Spanish · Vietnamese with French · Vietnamese with Hindi · Vietnamese with Indonesian · Vietnamese with Italian · Vietnamese with Japanese · Vietnamese with Korean · Vietnamese with Dutch · Vietnamese with Polish · Vietnamese with Portuguese · Vietnamese with Romanian · Vietnamese with Turkish · Vietnamese with Chinese · Chinese with German · Chinese with Greek · Chinese with Spanish · Chinese with French · Chinese with Hindi · Chinese with Indonesian · Chinese with Italian · Chinese with Japanese · Chinese with Korean · Chinese with Dutch · Chinese with Polish · Chinese with Portuguese · Chinese with Romanian · Chinese with Turkish · Chinese with Vietnamese

Questions

Which languages can I read The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood 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 C1 Advanced. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 3,656 words: around 5–25 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.

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