Classic
Das Bündel Stöcke
Aesop
In each language: The Bundle of Sticks · Das Bündel Stöcke · El haz de leña · Le Vieillard et ses Enfants · Il fascio di bastoni
A father has sons who quarrel all the time, and nothing he says makes any difference. One day, after a worse quarrel than usual, he asks for a bundle of sticks and hands it to each son in turn, telling them to try to break it.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 200 words · 5 min to read.
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Ein Vater hatte eine Familie von Söhnen, die sich ständig untereinander stritten.
A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever quarreling among themselves.
Keine Worte, die er sagen konnte, halfen auch nur im Geringsten, also überlegte er sich ein sehr eindrucksvolles Beispiel, das ihnen zeigen sollte, dass Zwietracht sie ins Unglück führen würde.
No words he could say did the least good, so he cast about in his mind for some very striking example that should make them see that discord would lead them to misfortune.
Eines Tages, als der Streit viel heftiger als gewöhnlich war und jeder der Söhne mürrisch vor sich hin schmollte, bat er einen von ihnen, ihm ein Bündel Stöcke zu bringen.
One day when the quarreling had been much more violent than usual and each of the Sons was moping in a surly manner, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks.
Languages
- The Bundle of Sticks · English (original)198 words · ~5 min
- Das Bündel Stöcke · GermanB1 Intermediate · 175 words · ~5 min
- El haz de leña · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 189 words · ~5 min
- Le Vieillard et ses Enfants · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 197 words · ~5 min
- Il fascio di bastoni · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 188 words · ~5 min
Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English
More stories at this level
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- Der Hund und das Stück FleischAesop · B1 · 144 words
- Die Gans mit den goldenen EiernAesop · B1 · 141 words
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 The Bundle of Sticks in?
- English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. 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?
- In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 198 words: around 5 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.