C1 · English
English short stories for C1 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in English, retold for C1 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 everyone understood that Mrs. Mallard's heart was fragile, the household went to considerable lengths to soften the blow of the news that her husband had been killed.
C11,163 words~35 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Open Window
Saki, 1911
"My aunt will be down shortly, Mr. Nuttel," said Vera, a strikingly self-possessed girl of fifteen.
C11,189 words~36 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
Miss Brill
Katherine Mansfield, 1920
The day was dazzlingly clear — a blue heaven dusted with gold, and broad pools of light scattered across the Jardins Publiques as though someone had flung white wine over them — yet Miss Brill congratulated herself for having chosen her fur.
C12,224 words~67 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry, 1905
The grand total: eighty-seven cents and a dollar.
C12,379 words~72 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe, 1843
Yes—anxious, terribly and ceaselessly anxious I have always been, and remain so still; but on what grounds do you insist that I am insane?
C12,385 words~72 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Happy Prince
Oscar Wilde, 1888
High over the rooftops, atop a tall column, rose the figure of the Happy Prince.
C13,904 words~118 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Monkey's Paw
W. W. Jacobs, 1902
Outside, the night pressed cold and sodden against the darkened windows of Laburnam Villa.
C15,050 words~153 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
The Signal-Man
Charles Dickens, 1866
"Halloa!
C15,074 words~154 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
To Build a Fire
Jack London, 1908
The dawn came cold and colorless, a raw, ashen light spreading over the world, when the man left the main Yukon trail and hauled himself up the tall bank of frozen earth.
C17,141 words~216 min to typeTranslation: UK ES FR DE IT PT KO
C1 in other languages
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.