I level
The Tale of the Last Prince of Lithuania
A long time ago, a baby boy was born. He was a prince. His name was Sigismund. It was the same name as his father. His mother, Bona, gave him another name too – Augustus. Sigismund Augustus had four sisters.
Sigismund liked to learn. He also liked to ride horses and go hunting.
A prince needed a wife. When Sigismund was a child, his family chose a princess for him. She came from the Habsburg family. When she came to the castle, Sigismund met her on his horse. He wore nice clothes. The wedding was very big. It lasted fifteen days.
But his wife, Elizabeth, was sick. She died after two years.
One day, in spring, Sigismund went for a walk. He met a young woman.
“What a beautiful girl!” he thought. “What is your name?” he asked.
“Barbara,” she said. Then she walked away. She did not know he was the ruler.
Sigismund could not forget her. He told his helpers to find her. When they did, Sigismund built a secret tunnel from his palace to Barbara’s house. He put white swans in the pond near his palace. This was a sign of love.
Sigismund and Barbara met in secret. Later, Sigismund said he loved Barbara Radvilaitė. His mother, Queen Bona, was angry. She did not like Barbara.
Sigismund and Barbara got married in secret. Barbara’s mother also did not like the wedding. But the couple was happy.
Soon, Barbara became sick. She died. Sigismund was very sad. He wore black clothes. He did not want to dance, smile, or talk.
Later, Sigismund married again. His new wife was named Catherine. But Sigismund did not love her. The marriage did not work. He stayed alone.
That was the end of the Lithuanian royal family. People say that Sigismund and Barbara will meet again in heaven—and they will be happy forever.
II level
The Tale of the Last Prince of Lithuania
A long time ago, a baby boy was born to the king and queen. They gave him the same name as his father – Sigismund. It was a strong name for a future king.
His mother, Bona, gave him another name – Augustus. This was a name of great Roman rulers and also for boys born in August. Sigismund Augustus had four sisters.
From a young age, Sigismund studied many things. He learned Polish, Italian, German, and Latin. He read books and looked at art. He also studied math, nature, and how to fight in war. He loved riding horses and hunting.
The king, queen, and their helpers wanted to find the best wife for Sigismund. When he was a boy, they promised he would marry a princess from the Habsburg family.
When the princess came, Sigismund wore fine clothes and met her on a horse. Their wedding party lasted fifteen days!
But Sigismund’s wife, Elizabeth, was often sick. She died two years later.
One day in spring, Sigismund went for a walk. He listened to the birds and watched the river Vilnelė. Suddenly, he bumped into a girl. He stopped and looked at her.
“She is so beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone like her,” he thought. He asked her name.
“Barbara,” the girl said, and walked away. She didn’t know he was the ruler.
Sigismund could not forget her. He sent his servants to find her. When they did, he made a secret tunnel from his palace to Barbara’s house. He also put white swans in the palace pond. This was a sign of love.
Sigismund and Barbara met in secret. Then, Sigismund told everyone he loved Barbara Radvilaitė. His mother, Queen Bona, was angry. She wanted him to marry a rich foreign princess.
Sigismund married Barbara in secret. They were happy together.
But soon, Barbara became very sick and died. Sigismund was very sad. He wore black clothes for the rest of his life. He did not want to smile, dance, or talk to people.
Later, he married another woman. But he still loved Barbara. He could not love his new wife, so they separated. Sigismund lived alone until he died.
This is the end of the story of the last prince of Lithuania. People say Sigismund and Barbara will meet again in heaven and be happy forever.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
III level
The Tale of the Last Prince of Lithuania
A long time ago, a son was born to the king and queen. They named him after his father. What could be a better name for a future king than Sigismund, the name of a great warlord?
His mother, Bona, also gave him an Italian name—Augustus. This name was used by the most famous rulers of the Roman Empire and also for people born in August. Sigismund Augustus grew up with his four sisters.
From a young age, Sigismund learned many languages, including Polish, Italian, German, and Latin. He was also taught many important subjects such as literature, art, mathematics, nature, and the art of war. He enjoyed riding horses and hunting with his dogs.
Choosing the right wife was important for the future king. His parents and advisors were worried about this. When he was young, the king promised that Sigismund would marry a princess from the powerful Habsburg family.
When the bride arrived, Sigismund met her while riding a horse and wearing fine clothes. Their wedding lasted for fifteen days.
Sadly, Sigismund’s wife, Elizabeth, had been ill since childhood, and she died two years after their wedding.
One spring day, Sigismund Augustus went for a walk by the river Vilnelė. He enjoyed listening to the birds and watching the water. Suddenly, he bumped into a girl, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.
“She is so beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone like her,” he thought. He asked her name.
“Barbara,” she said, and walked away, not realizing who he was.
Sigismund couldn’t stop thinking about Barbara. He sent his servants to look for her. When they found her, Sigismund decided to build a secret tunnel from his palace to Barbara’s house. He also put many white swans in the pond near his palace to show his love.
Sigismund and Barbara started meeting secretly. Eventually, Sigismund decided to announce his love for Barbara to everyone. But this news upset his mother, Queen Bona. She had hoped Sigismund would marry another rich princess from a foreign country.
Sigismund married Barbara secretly, without his mother’s approval. They were very happy together.
Unfortunately, soon after, Barbara died. Sigismund was heartbroken. He wore black for the rest of his life and no longer wanted to dance, smile, or talk to anyone.
A kingdom needs a king, and a king needs an heir. So, Sigismund married again. But he never forgot Barbara, and he couldn’t love his new wife. A few years later, his marriage to Catherine ended. Sigismund lived alone for the rest of his life.
And so, this is the story of the last rulers of Lithuania. Sigismund Augustus and Barbara will be together again in heaven, where they will enjoy each other’s company forever.
