This illustrated story has been designed for bilingual children and others wishing to read a parallel text in English and German. For ease of understanding, the languages are displayed together just one or two sentences at a time.
The aim was to make translation as direct as possible but always using everyday language of native speakers.
Basil, Rosemary and the Pansy sisters are lively, chatty little plants. They think they know some stuff, but when it comes to this animal, they know nothing. One wild assumption leads to another and gets them into big trouble.
Excerpt from the tale:
Rosemary and the Pansy sisters liked picking on Basil. The sisters’ bright colours scared him and he wanted them to be quiet.
Rosmarin und die Stiefmütterchen Schwestern ärgerten gerne Basilikum. Die leuchtenden Farben der Schwestern ängstigten ihn und er wollte, dass sie ruhig sind.
"Basil, you’re so daft!" said the sisters, "monkeys climb trees!"
Monkey ignored them but he was different. Monkey was an animal.
"Basilikum, du bist so doof!", sagten die Schwestern, "Affen klettern auf Bäume!"
Affe ignorierte sie, aber er war anders. Affe war ein Tier.