Try the first scene with audio and English translations. No account needed.
Scene illustration unavailable.
Scene 1 · Intermediate
Un'anatra in attesa nel suo nido
A duck waiting on her nest
Italian
È una splendida estate in campagna. Nei campi si vedono il grano dorato, l'avena ancora verde e i mucchi di fieno raccolti nei prati. Una cicogna cammina sulle lunghe zampe rosse, chiacchierando nella lingua egiziana che ha imparato da sua madre. Intorno ai campi si estendono grandi boschi con stagni profondi: è un vero piacere passeggiare da quelle parti.
English translation
It is a splendid summer in the countryside. In the fields, you can see golden wheat, oats that are still green, and piles of hay gathered in the meadows. A stork walks on her long red legs, chatting in the Egyptian language she learned from her mother. Great woods stretch around the fields, with deep ponds: it is a real pleasure to stroll around there.
Italian
Accanto a un fiume sorge una bella casa colonica, antica e soleggiata. Tra la casa e la riva crescono piante di bardana dalle foglie enormi; sotto le più grandi potrebbe stare in piedi un bambino piccolo. Lì la vegetazione è così fitta che sembra di essere nel cuore di un bosco.
English translation
Beside a river stands a beautiful farmhouse, old and sunlit. Between the house and the riverbank, burdock plants with enormous leaves grow; a small child could stand beneath the biggest ones. The plants grow so thickly there that it seems like the heart of a forest.
Italian
In questo rifugio un'anatra cova le sue uova. Aspetta da tanto che i piccoli escano dal guscio e comincia a perdere la pazienza. Per di più, riceve poche visite: le altre anatre preferiscono nuotare nel fiume piuttosto che salire sulla riva scivolosa per farle compagnia sotto le foglie.
English translation
In this shelter, a duck is sitting on her eggs. She has been waiting a long time for the little ones to hatch, and she is beginning to lose patience. What’s more, she gets few visitors: the other ducks would rather swim in the river than climb the slippery bank to keep her company under the leaves.
Continue with Il brutto anatroccolo
A 3-day trial or membership unlocks the full story and its available reading levels. No card required for the trial.
Open the reader, then choose a level in Reading options. Find a version you can follow comfortably, and return to the same story at a higher level when you are ready.
Can I hide the English translation?
Yes. In Reading options, you can show the English translation beside or below the story, or hide it.
Will it remember where I stopped?
Your account saves your reading and audio position. You need to be signed in with a working connection to save your progress.
Is this story free?
Read this story during your three-day full library trial or with membership. No card is required to start the trial, and there are no automatic charges.