Adam and Eve
Adam en Eva
God forms the first human and his companion, places them in Eden, and tells how they are expelled from the garden.
Learning Dutch · Beginner
Dutch Stories for Beginners
Build a reading habit with beginner Dutch stories, audio and English translations. Follow familiar plots in connected storytelling, and choose an easier edition when you need more support.
47 editions at this difficulty.
Try a free sample
Cinderella
Assepoester
A mistreated young woman receives help from a magical bird and goes to the king’s festival.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Daniël in de leeuwenkuil
Daniel continues to pray despite a royal decree and is protected in the lions’ den.
David and Goliath
David en Goliat
Young David faces the Philistine champion Goliath and defeats him with a sling and a stone.
Hansel and Gretel
Hans en Grietje
Two children are lost in the forest and must outwit a witch who lives in a house made of sweets.
Jonah and the Whale
Jona en de walvis
Jonah flees his mission, is swallowed by a great fish, and eventually delivers God’s message to Nineveh.
Joseph and His Brothers
Jozef en zijn broers
Joseph is sold by his brothers, rises to authority in Egypt, and reunites with his family during a famine.
Little Red Riding Hood
Roodkapje
A girl takes food to her grandmother through the forest and meets a wolf who has a plan of his own.
Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood
De ark van Noach en de zondvloed
Noah builds an ark to survive the flood, and God establishes a covenant with Noah and every living creature.
Rapunzel
Raponsje
A girl with extraordinarily long hair is kept in a tower until a prince discovers her.
Rumpelstiltskin
Repelsteeltje
A mysterious little man helps a miller’s daughter spin straw into gold, then demands a costly promise.
Sleeping Beauty
Doornroosje
A princess and her kingdom fall into a long sleep after a curse, until a prince reaches the castle.
Try Little Red Riding Hood in Dutch
Scene 1Try the first scene with audio and English translations. No account needed.
Scene 1 · Beginner
Hoe Roodkapje aan haar naam kwam
How Red-Cap got her name
Dutch
Er was eens een lief klein meisje. Iedereen hield van haar, maar haar grootmoeder hield het meest van haar. Op een dag gaf grootmoeder haar een mutsje van rood fluweel, een zachte stof. Het mutsje stond haar zo goed dat ze het altijd wilde dragen. Daarom noemde iedereen haar Roodkapje.
English translation
There was once a sweet little girl. Everyone loved her, but her grandmother loved her most. One day her grandmother gave her a little cap made of red velvet, a soft fabric. The cap suited her so well that she always wanted to wear it. That is why everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.
Is Beginner right for me?
Choose Beginner when you can follow simple sentences in Dutch and want to connect them into a story. These editions make the sequence of events and the reasons behind them clear. Try reading a passage before checking the English, then listen as you read.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use these stories for Dutch A1 or A2 reading practice?
If you study at A1 or A2, try the sample to see how much you can follow with and without the English translation. Beginner is a LingoPlasty difficulty band, not a separate A1 or A2 classification. Absolute Beginner offers an easier starting point if this version feels demanding.
Can I read and listen with English translations?
Yes. The stories combine the language you are learning with English translations and scene audio. Approved opening-scene previews can be read and played without an account; the full reader lets you choose how to display the English.
Are these stories free?
Cards marked Free can be read in full with a free account. Other full stories require membership. Any sample shown on this page is free to try without signing in.
How do I choose the right difficulty?
Try an opening scene. Choose a version whose plot you can follow without checking the translation after every sentence. Move to an easier edition when reading feels tiring, or try a more detailed edition of a story you already know.