Which languages can I read To Build a Fire in?

English and German. 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.

The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 6,063 words in 3 chapters: around 1 h – 1 h 15 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.

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.

Klassiker leicht erzählt A2 · Easy Classics A2 · Geschichte 13

Ein Feuer machen

Jack London

In each language: To Build a Fire · Ein Feuer machen

Jack London's famous short story, retold in full in easy English. It is seventy-five degrees below zero in the far north of Canada. A man walks alone along a frozen river to his friends' camp, with only a big grey dog beside him. An old man warned him never to travel alone in this cold. The man only laughed. Now one wet foot, one fire and a few matches decide everything.

In English and German · 3 chapters · about 6,100 words · 1 h – 1 h 15 min to read.

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How it begins

GermanEnglish

Der kalte Pfad

The Cold Trail

Der Tag hat kalt und grau begonnen, sehr kalt und grau. An diesem Morgen hat der Mann den Hauptpfad am Yukon verlassen. Der Yukon ist ein großer Fluss im hohen Norden von Kanada, und auch das Land um ihn herum. Ein Pfad ist ein schmaler Weg durch wildes Land. Die Füße von Menschen und Hunden haben ihn gemacht.

The day began cold and grey, very cold and grey. That morning the man left the main Yukon trail. The Yukon is a big river in the far north of Canada, and the land around it. A trail is a narrow way through wild land, made by the feet of people and dogs.

Der Mann ist auf ein hohes Ufer aus Erde gestiegen. Oben hat ein kleiner Pfad nach Osten in den Wald aus großen, dunklen Bäumen geführt. Nicht viele Menschen haben ihn benutzt. Das Ufer war steil, und oben ist der Mann stehen geblieben und hat auf seine Uhr gesehen. Es war neun Uhr.

The man climbed a high bank of earth. At the top, a small trail went east into the woods of big dark trees. Not many people used it. The bank was steep, and at the top the man stopped and looked at his watch. It was nine o’clock.

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

Languages

To Build a Fire · English (original)A2 Easy · 6,063 words · ~1 h
Ein Feuer machen · GermanA2 Easy · 6,315 words · ~1 h 15 min

Open in the reader: German with English · English with German

Reading it as a parallel text

A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.

Questions

Which languages can I read To Build a Fire in?: English and German. 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 is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 6,063 words in 3 chapters: around 1 h – 1 h 15 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 e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.
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.