Joseph Jacobs

Tom Tit Tot

A girl who cannot spin is married to a king after her mother boasts of her skill, and now she must spin five skeins of flax a day or lose her head. A strange black creature offers to spin it for her, in exchange for three guesses a night at its name before the month is out.

B115 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

Once upon a time there was a woman, and she baked five pies. When they came out of the oven, they were so overbaked that the crusts were too hard to eat. So she said to her daughter:

Es war einmal eine Frau, und sie backte fünf Pasteten. Als sie aus dem Ofen kamen, waren sie so verbacken, dass die Krusten zu hart zum Essen waren. Da sagte sie zu ihrer Tochter:

"Daughter," she said, "put those pies on the shelf and leave them there a little while, and they'll come again." She meant, you know, that the crust would get soft.

„Tochter“, sagte sie, „stell diese Pasteten auf das Regal und lass sie dort eine Weile stehen, dann werden sie wieder.“ Sie meinte damit, wie man weiß, dass die Kruste weich werden würde.

But the girl said to herself, "Well, if they'll come again, I'll eat them now." And she set to work and ate them all, first to last.

Aber das Mädchen sagte zu sich selbst: „Nun, wenn sie wiederkommen, esse ich sie jetzt.“ Und sie machte sich an die Arbeit und aß alle auf, von der ersten bis zur letzten.

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

Languages

Tom Tit Tot · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 1,679 words · ~15 min · Audio
Tom Tit Tot · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,674 words · ~15 min · Audio
Τομ Τιτ Τοτ · GreekB1 Intermediate · 1,513 words · ~15 min
Tom Tit Tot · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,577 words · ~15 min · Audio
Tom Tit Tot · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,978 words · ~15 min · Audio
टॉम टिट टॉट · HindiB1 Intermediate · 1,754 words · ~15 min
Tom Tit Tot · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 1,399 words · ~10 min
Tom Tit Tot · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,651 words · ~15 min
トム・ティット・トット · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
톰 팃 톳 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,140 words · ~10 min
Tom Tit Tot · DutchB1 Intermediate · 1,741 words · ~15 min
Tom Tit Tot · PolishB1 Intermediate · 1,298 words · ~10 min
Tom Tit Tot · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 1,641 words · ~15 min
Tom Tit Tot · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 1,713 words · ~15 min
Tom Tit Tot · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,163 words · ~10 min
Tom Tit Tot · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 1,923 words · ~15 min
汤姆·蒂特·托特 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read Tom Tit Tot 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 1,679 words: around 5–15 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 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.

Tom Tit Tot

How it begins

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Questions

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