A2 · Français
French short stories for A2 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in French, retold for A1–A2 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.
La Main
The Hand · Colette, 1924
Le mari dormait.
The husband was sleeping.
A1–A21,001 words~30 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Dernière Classe
The Last Lesson · Alphonse Daudet, 1873
Ce matin-là, je suis très en retard pour l'école et j'ai peur d'être grondé.
That morning, I was very late for school and I was afraid of being scolded.
A1–A21,542 words~47 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Ficelle
A Piece of String · Guy de Maupassant, 1883
C’était jour de marché à Goderville.
It was market day in Goderville.
A1–A21,580 words~48 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame
The Juggler of Notre Dame · Anatole France, 1890
Il y a longtemps, sous le roi Louis, vivait un pauvre jongleur.
Long ago, under King Louis, there lived a poor juggler.
A1–A21,705 words~52 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Chèvre de monsieur Seguin
Monsieur Seguin's Goat · Alphonse Daudet, 1866
Mon pauvre Gringoire, tu ne changes pas.
My poor Gringoire, you never change.
A1–A21,843 words~56 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Parure
The Necklace · Guy de Maupassant, 1884
Mathilde était une jolie fille.
Mathilde was a pretty girl.
A1–A22,069 words~63 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Cafetière
The Coffee Pot · Théophile Gautier, 1831
L'année dernière, un ami m'a invité à la campagne.
Last year, a friend invited me to the countryside.
A1–A22,380 words~72 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Véra
Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, 1874
L'amour est parfois plus fort que la mort, et cette histoire le raconte.
Love is sometimes stronger than death, and this story tells about it.
A1–A22,550 words~77 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Mateo Falcone
Prosper Mérimée, 1829
Près de Porto-Vecchio, en Corse, il y a un grand maquis.
Near Porto-Vecchio, in Corsica, there is a vast maquis.
A1–A23,101 words~94 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
A2 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.