Das Märchen 2: Die Drei Schläfer (Intermediate German)

Improve your reading, practise asking questions, do extra work focussing on Adjektive and Adverbien, and practise your declension skills - all while enjoying a unique German fairy tale!

Plot Summary

Three lazy young men living in the city of Bonn find they are unable to sleep as much as they want to because their relatives repeatedly wake them up. One of them says that he knows of a cave where they could go, where they will never be disturbed again. They leave Bonn, find the cave, and finally sleep as much as they have always wanted to. Every seven years, one of them wakes up and says something. Who might be interested in this excruciatingly slow conversation?

This story is divided into four short sections. For each section there are basic assignments and bonus assignments. Teachers may pick and choose which assignments to use. Detailed instructions are included.

Basic Assignments:

· a chart in which to translate unfamiliar vocabulary and identify parts of speech

· three statements that are ‘answers’, for which the student will write the questions

· a short assignment to practise parsing individual words (answer key provided)

Bonus Assignments:

· practise using 18 Adjektive and 12 Adverbien through simple declension assignments and by writing sentences. In some cases, it may be necessary to use other materials (such as a dictionary).

Further assignments apply to the full story, including a ‘Fill in the Blanks’ quiz, discussion, and more exercises using Adjektive and Adverbien.

Note: Students who work through the Märchen series in numerical order will be challenged by progressively more difficult texts and assignments. For each story, a different part of speech is given special attention. Die Drei Schläfer puts a special emphasis on Adjektive and Adverbien. It is suitable for students who can figure out the meaning of a variety of sentence structures, and are learning the Präteritum.