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The Twelve Brothers

From Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

This tale was collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the nineteenth century as part of their work preserving German folklore. It is a story of love, sacrifice and reunion. The sister in this story gives up her voice for seven years to save her brothers — a test of courage and devotion. Like many fairy tales, it shows that goodness and perseverance are rewarded. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised.

Band
Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
Length
short · about 367 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
Source
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
First published
see the About page in the reader
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 9 minutes at this band
Pause questions
5
Words to Know
4
Quick Check
6 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

Other bands of this story

This story is ready now at the Purple band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.