Full Text: Rumpelstiltskin
One story, four ways to read it
Every story comes in its original version plus several simplified reading levels, so it grows with your child.
The original text is the full story with rich vocabulary and descriptive language, ideal for reading aloud together and for kids who are ready for longer sentences.
The simplified levels retell the same story in shorter, simpler sentences matched to your child's stage. Ages 2-6 uses a few short sentences per scene, perfect for first time readers. Ages 4-8 adds simple dialogue and everyday vocabulary for kids beginning to follow along. Ages 6-10 keeps the language accessible while bringing back more of the story's detail, a natural bridge to the original.
Start at the level where your child is comfortable, and move up when they're ready. Hearing the same story told in richer language each time is one of the best ways to build vocabulary in any language.
Original Text: Rumpelstiltskin
Kudala, kwakukhona umgayi owayethanda indodakazi yakhe, u-Elara, ukwedlula konke okusanhlamvu okwake kwagcwalisa isigayo sakhe.
U-Elara wayenomusa, ehlakaniphile, futhi ehlale ekulungele ukusiza abanye ukuxazulula ngisho nezinkinga ezinzima kakhulu.
Ngolunye ntambama libalele, ngesikhathi exoxa neNkosi, ukuzigqaja komgayi kwaphuphuma.
«U-Elara wami uyamangalisa kakhulu,» esho ehleka.
«Hhawu, angakwazi ukuphotha utshani obujwayelekile bube yigolide!»
Wayesho nje ukuthi u-Elara wayenendlela emangalisayo yokuguqula izinkinga zibe yizixazululo.
Kodwa iNkosi yama kancane, amehlo ayo avuleka kakhulu njengoba yathatha lawo mazwi njengoba enjalo.
«Lokho kuzwakala njengesipho esikhulu,» isho icabanga.
«Ngicela umlethe enqabeni kusasa.
Ngesikhathi uElara efika esigodlweni, ukukhanya kwasekuseni kwakudansa ezindongeni zamatshe.
INkosi yamamukela ngemfudumalo yamholela ekamelweni elithule eligcwele izithungu zotshani nesondo lokuphotha eliqinile.
»Uyihlo uthi ungaphotha utshani bube yigolide," kusho iNkosi ngobumnene.
"Uma kuyiqiniso, ngingathanda ukukubona.
Futhi uma kungenjalo, yenza nje konke okusemandleni akho. Uphephile lapha."
Ngesikhathi ehamba, uElara waphefumulela phezulu kancane.
"Hhawu, Papa," wahleba, "ukhulume ngothando, kodwa iNkosi izwe umlingo.
Kwathi lapho inyembezi ithinta utshani, umlilo walokoza noma kwakungekho moya onyakazayo.
Izithunzi zeluleka zaba zinde ezindongeni.
Phakathi kwezinti zesondo lokuphotha kwaphuma indoda encane, engemude ukwedlula i-ekseli yesondo.
Amabhuzu ayo awenzanga msindo ephansi lamatshe.
«Ezinye izethembiso,» isho ngomoya ophansi, «zinendlela yokuvusa umlingo omdala.»
Inhliziyo ka-Elara yashaya ngamandla.
«Ungubani wena?» wabuza.
Indoda encane yamamatheka, kodwa ayizange iphendule.
Ngingakusiza,» kusho indoda encane ngokuthula.
«Umlingo uhlale ufuna ukulinganisela.»
U-Elara wamtshela iqiniso ngamazwi akababa wakhe nephutha leNkosi.
Ezinweleni zakhe, wakhumula iribhoni yakhe eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ayithandayo wayibeka esandleni sakhe.
Akabuthintanga utshani.
Waphendukisa isondo lokuluka kuphela—kancane ekuqaleni, maqede lashesha.
Utshani bacwebezela njengoba belukwa buba yigolide.
Ekuseni, izinqwaba zegolide zazilele lapho kwakukhona utshani.
Ekuphumeni kwelanga, iNkosi yavula umnyango yadonsa umoya ngokumangala.
Ikamelo lakhazimula ngokukhanya kwegolide.
Yambonga u-Elara ngobuqotho yabe isimyisa ngakusasa kusihlwa ekamelweni elikhudlwana eligcwele utshani kanye nolunye isondo lokuphotha.
Inhliziyo ka-Elara yaba nzima ngezimfihlo ayengakazi ukuthi uzozichaza kanjani.
Kwathi sekuhlwile, indoda encane yabuya.
Kulokhu, u-Elara wayinika indandatho yesiliva kagogo wakhe.
Nakulokhu, utshani bwaphothwa baba yigolide ngaphambi kokusa.
Ngobusuku besithathu, iNkosi yahola u-Elara ehholo elikhulu, eligcwele utshani kusuka odongeni kuya kodonga namasondo amaningi okuphotha.
"Lo msebenzi awumayelana negolide kuphela," esho ngezwi eliphansi.
"Sengiyabona manje ukuthi isipho sakho sangempela yindlela obhekana ngayo nezinkinga ezinzima ngesineke nangokunakekela."
"Uma ukufisa lokho, ngingakucela ukuba ushade nami sibuse lo mbuso sisonke."
"Kodwa kuphela uma ukhetha lokhu ngokukhululeka nangenjabulo."
U-Elara wezwa isisindo samazwi akhe nomlingo ulalele nxazonke zabo.
Ngalobo busuku, indoda encane yaphinde yavela.
Izandla zika-Elara zazingenalutho.
«Angisenazo izinto eziyigugu,» washo ngobumnene.
Amehlo endoda encane ayecwebezela njengokukhanya kwezinkanyezi emanzini.
«Ngeke ngithathe okungesikho okwami,» yasho.
«Kodwa amagama, izethembiso, nezinkumbulo yizinto ezinamandla.»
«Uma usuyiNdlovukazi,» yaqhubeka, «mangaziwe yingane yakho.»
U-Elara wanqekuzisa ikhanda kancane, esiqonda isethembiso ngisho noma ayengawuqondi kahle umlingo.
Kwathi kusa, lonke utshani ehholo base buphothiwe baba yigolide.
UElara watshela iNkosi yonke into—ngomlingo, ngendoda encane, nokungaqondani okwaqala konke lokhu.
INkosi yalalisisa yabe isimbonga ngokwethembeka kwakhe.
Njengoba ayethembisile, washada noElara emcimbini ojabulisayo ogcwele umculo, izimbali, kanye nohleko.
Bebonke, babusa ngomusa nangokunakekela.
Ngemva konyaka, bamukela umntwana womfana emhlabeni.
Ngobunye ubusuku obuthulile, ngenkathi u-Elara eduduza umntwana wakhe ngasemlilweni, kwavela indoda encane njengesithunzi esihambayo.
«Ngize ukuze ngaziwe,» esho ngenjabulo.
U-Elara wamgona wamsondeza umntwana wakhe.
«Ungasivakashela lapha,» esho ngokuqiniseka kodwa ngomusa.
«Kodwa umntwana wami uzohlala njalo lapho ephephile futhi ethandwa khona.»
Indoda encane yanqekuzisa ikhanda.
«Uma kunjalo unezinsuku ezintathu zokuqagela igama lami,» esho emamatheka.
"Amagama awawona nje imisindo," kuxwayisa indoda encane.
"Ayiminyango."
Ngobo busuku, u-Elara waqagela ngokucophelela, kodwa igama ngalinye elingelona lenza amakhandlela afiphale.
Indoda encane yahleka yabe isinyamalala.
U-Elara wacabanga njengoba ayehlale enza—ngokulalela, ngokukhumbula, nangokuxazulula indida ephambi kwakhe.
Wayezimisele ukuvikela umndeni wakhe.
Ngosuku lwesibili, waqoqa amagama amaningi nakakhulu ehlathini nasemagqumeni.
Noma kunjalo, awekho ayelungile.
Ngosuku lwesithathu, umgijimi wakhe othembekile wabuya evule amehlo kakhulu.
Wayebone indoda encane kakhulu igida ngasemlilweni ezintabeni.
Intaba uqobo lwayo kwakungathi inanela ingoma.
«URumpelstiltskin yigama lami,» lacula izwi elincane.
Ngalobo busuku, ngesikhathi kuvela indoda encane, u-Elara wazizwa ezolile futhi enesiqiniseko.
Wamamatheka wakhuluma ngobumnene.
«Ngabe igama lakho nguRumpelstiltskin?»
Igumbi lathula cwaka.
Amasondo okuphotha azimela ngokwawo.
Indoda encane yadonsa umoya, yabe isihleka kancane.
«Ukubizwa ngegama,» yasho, «wukubonwa.
Ngokububula okunjengamaqabunga ehlala phansi ngemuva komoya, uRumpelstiltskin wanyamalala.
Akahambanga ngentukuthelo, kodwa ngokuthula.
Igolide lasala, kanti igumbi laba nokuthula futhi.
UElara wagona ingane yakhe wayisondeza kuye.
Khona manjalo, uElara watshela iNkosi okwakusanda kwenzeka wabe esexolisa.
INkosi yakubona ukwethembeka kwakhe, yamqonda, futhi yamthethelela.
Kusukela ngalolo suku, umbuso waziwa ngeqiniso, amagama akhethwe ngokucophelela, nomusa.
Futhi wonke umuntu wavuma ukuthi umcebo omkhulu kunayo yonke kwakuwukwethembana, okunikezwa ngokukhululeka nokugcinwa ngothando.