Try the first scene with audio and English translations. No account needed.
Scene illustration unavailable.
Scene 1 · Intermediate
Zła macocha
The wicked stepmother
Polish
Daleko stąd, w kraju, do którego jaskółki odlatują na zimę, mieszkał król. Miał jedenastu synów i córkę imieniem Eliza. Królewicze chodzili do szkoły z gwiazdami na piersiach i mieczami u boku. Pisali diamentowymi rysikami na złotych tabliczkach i tak łatwo przyswajali wiedzę, że nikt nie wątpił w ich królewskie pochodzenie.
English translation
Far away, in a country where swallows fly for the winter, there lived a king. He had eleven sons and a daughter named Eliza. The princes went to school with stars on their chests and swords at their sides. They wrote with diamond styluses on golden tablets and learned so easily that no one doubted they were of royal birth.
Polish
Tymczasem mała Eliza siedziała na szklanym stołeczku i oglądała książkę z obrazkami wartą tyle co pół królestwa.
English translation
Meanwhile, little Eliza sat on a glass stool, looking at a picture book worth half a kingdom.
Polish
Szczęśliwe dzieciństwo nie trwało jednak wiecznie. Król poślubił złą kobietę, która została macochą dzieci i wcale ich nie kochała. Okazała to już pierwszego dnia po ślubie. W pałacu trwała wielka uroczystość, a dzieci bawiły się w przyjmowanie gości. Zwykle dostawały potem pozostałe ciastka i jabłka. Tym razem królowa podała im filiżankę z odrobiną piasku i kazała udawać, że to ciasto.
English translation
But their happy childhood did not last forever. The king married a wicked woman, who became the children’s stepmother and did not love them at all. She showed this on the very first day after the wedding. A grand celebration was underway at the palace, and the children played at receiving guests. Usually, they were given the leftover cakes and apples afterward. This time, the queen gave them a cup with a little sand in it and told them to pretend it was cake.
Continue with Dzikie łabędzie
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.