B1 · English
English short stories for B1 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in English, retold for B1–B2 learners. A retelling keeps the whole plot of the original — every scene, every turn — in language pitched at your level. Every sentence has a translation into your language, and the first sentences of any story are free to type, no account needed.
The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin, 1894
Because Mrs. Mallard had a weak heart, everyone around her took great care when the time came to tell her that her husband was dead.
B1–B21,099 words~33 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Open Window
Saki, 1911
A remarkably composed girl of fifteen told Framton Nuttel that her aunt would be down in a moment.
B1–B21,200 words~36 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry, 1905
A dollar eighty-seven.
B1–B22,075 words~63 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
Miss Brill
Katherine Mansfield, 1920
The day was dazzling.
B1–B22,093 words~63 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe, 1843
Yes, my nerves were shattered, terribly so, and they still are.
B1–B22,171 words~66 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Happy Prince
Oscar Wilde, 1888
High on a tall column over the rooftops stood a gilded figure.
B1–B23,492 words~106 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Monkey's Paw
W. W. Jacobs, 1902
Outside, the night was cold and the rain came down hard.
B1–B24,226 words~128 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Signal-Man
Charles Dickens, 1866
"Halloa!
B1–B24,876 words~148 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
To Build a Fire
Jack London, 1908
The morning arrived bitter and colorless, bitter and colorless beyond anything ordinary, as the traveler turned off the well-worn Yukon route and climbed a steep bank of hardened earth.
B1–B26,398 words~194 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
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Questions
How were these retellings made?
Each retelling starts as an AI draft written to its level. A second pass critiques and revises it: does it fit the level, is the whole plot still there? A mechanical check makes sure no long passages are copied from the original. English and Ukrainian retellings are also read by a person before they go live.
Are these official CEFR levels?
No. A1–A2, B1–B2 and C1 are the targets each retelling is written to, on the CEFR scale (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) you know from courses and exams. No one certifies the level of a story, ours included, so treat it as a guide: if a page feels too easy or too hard, move one level over.
Can I switch levels in the middle of a story?
Yes. The three levels are separate retellings of the same story, and each keeps its own progress — switch to an easier or a harder one whenever you like, and come back to where you left off.
Is it free?
The first sentences of every retelling are free to type, no account needed, and the free daily practice draws sentences from the whole library. Whole stories, at all three levels, come with Krapka Pro — $5 a month or $45 a year.