Beginner Stories (A1) in German
Start reading German with our beginner stories. At the A1 level you'll meet your first few hundred German words in short, present-tense scenes, and discover that even the longest word is just a few shorter, familiar ones stuck together. Tap it for its meaning right there in the sentence, so one unfamiliar word never stops the story. Read it twice and the long words stop looking so intimidating.
Frau Holle
A free German A1 story: a hardworking girl falls down a well and meets Mother Holle.
Der Froschkönig
A free German A1 story: a princess loses her golden ball and meets a frog by the well.
Rumpelstilzchen
A free German A1 story: a little man spins straw into gold — and guards a secret name.
Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten
A free German A1 story: a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster make music and scare off robbers.
Hänsel und Gretel
A free German A1 story: Hansel and Gretel find a cake house in the woods — and a witch.
Goldlöckchen und die drei Bären
A free German A1 story: Goldilocks wanders into the three bears’ house and tries the porridge, chairs, and beds.
Die drei kleinen Schweinchen
A free German A1 story: three pigs build houses of straw, wood, and brick as a wolf huffs and puffs.
Rotkäppchen
A free German A1 story: Little Red carries food to grandma and meets a wolf in the woods.