German · Deutsch · Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Die Karte im Mantel — The map in the coat
City mystery. Level A2–B1 (lower intermediate). A secondhand coat conceals a map of a square that should not exist.
Each episode is short enough to read in a few minutes. Read the German text first and see how much you can follow, then read the English version, where the key German words and phrases appear in place with their meaning. The free opening has 3 episodes.
Episode 1: Im Futter (Inside the lining)
Im Futter des alten Mantels fand Amir eine Karte. Darauf standen Straßen, die er kannte, aber auch ein kleiner Platz, den es auf keinem Stadtplan gab.
English base with German cues
Inside the lining of an old coat, Amir found a Karte (map). It showed streets he knew, and one small square that appeared on keinem Stadtplan (no city map).
Episode 2: Der kleine Platz (The small square)
Amir ging am Samstag zu der Adresse. Zwischen zwei Häusern entdeckte er einen schmalen Weg, den er bisher nie bemerkt hatte.
English base with German cues
On Saturday, Amir went to the address. Between two houses he discovered a narrow Weg (path) he had bisher nie (never before) noticed.
Episode 3: Das rote Fenster (The red window)
Auf dem Platz stand nur ein Café mit einem roten Fenster. Drinnen wartete eine Frau mit einem alten Schlüsselbund.
English base with German cues
Only a café with a roten Fenster (red window) stood on the square. Inside, a woman waited with an old Schlüsselbund (ring of keys).
Original AI-assisted opening story for language-learning use.