Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Our story begins on May 24th 1863, at a little house in Hamburg, Germany. On that day, Professor Otto Lidenbrock comes home from work early.

"Look!", he says to his nephew, Axel. "This wonderful book comes from the old shop near here, and it's got Arne Saknussemm's name in the front".

"Who's Arne Saknussemm? And what's the book about?", asks Axel. "I can't read it!" "That's because it's in old Icelandic. Saknussemm's an old Icelandic scientist from the 1500s. And this book's more than four hundred years older than him!"

Just then, they find a dirty, old paper in the book. "Look!", says Professor Lidenbrock. "It's a secret message - I'm sure!"

Professor Lidenbrock and Axel want to understand the message on the paper. They work on it all afternoon.

"It's no good!", says the professor angrily that evening. "I can't understand it". And he goes out of the house for a walk.

The fire in the room is very warm. Soon Axel feels hot. He moves the paper in front of his face. Suddenly Axel can read the message through the paper. "It is a secret message - from Arne Saknussemm", he thinks. "But it's backwards".

Now Axel understands the message, he's afraid. Just then, his uncle comes home. Axel is afraid of his uncle, too.

"Well, Axel", says Lidenbrock, "can you understand the message now?" "Er... Yes, Uncle", says Axel. "You must read it backwards". "Of course", says Professor Lidenbrock. "Good boy! That's it!"

The professor reads the message:

Go down into the crater of Snafells before the last day of June, when the shadow of Scartaris falls across it, and you can go to the centre of the Earth - Arne Saknussemm

"Uncle", Axel asks the professor. "Where's Snafells?" "In Iceland", answers Lidenbrock. "It's an old volcano".

"But Uncle, nobody can go to the centre of the Earth and come back alive", says Axel. "It's very hot and dark down there - I'm sure". "Yes, they can. Arne Saknussemm's message tells us that", says Lidenbrock. "But is his message true? We must go to Iceland and see".

"Now remember, Axel, this is a secret", says Lidenbrock. "We want to be the first scientists of our time to go to the centre of the Earth!"

Later Axel meets his fiancée, Gräuben. He tells her about his uncle's secret plan to go to the centre of the Earth. "I don't want to go", he says. "I want to stay here with you". "Of course you must go", says Gräuben. "What a wonderful journey! And when you come back, you can marry me".

All the next day Lidenbrock and Axel get different things for the journey. At last, late that evening, everything is ready.

At half past five the next morning, the professor and Axel leave for Iceland. "Goodbye, Axel", says Gräuben. "Remember, I'm waiting for you". "Be quick, Axel", calls Lidenbrock. "Our train leaves Hamburg at six o'clock. We must be on it".

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professor an important teacher who also studies a lot

nephew your sister's (or brother's) son

scientist a person who studies the natural world

paper you write on this

secret something that you don't tell to everybody

message you write this to someone

sure when you feel that something true

fire this is red and hot, and it burns

backwards beginning at the last letter and going to the first letter

uncle your father's (or mother's) brother

crater a big, wide hole

shadow a dark shape that the sun makes on things

fall to go down suddenly

centre the part in the middle

Earth we live on this

volcano a mountain that fire and rocks sometimes come from

fiancée the woman that a man wants to marry

Gräuben / groi,ban/

plan when you get something ready to do later; to get something ready to do later

journey when you go far

marry to make someone your husband or wife