B2 · Français
French short stories for B2 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in French, 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.
La Main
The Hand · Colette, 1924
Son mari s'était assoupi, la tête posée sur son épaule.
Her husband had dozed off, his head resting on her shoulder.
B1–B21,044 words~32 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Dernière Classe
The Last Lesson · Alphonse Daudet, 1873
Ce matin-là, je partais pour l'école avec un grand retard.
That morning, I was setting out for school very late.
B1–B21,688 words~51 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame
The Juggler of Notre Dame · Anatole France, 1890
Au temps où régnait le roi Louis, on trouvait sur les routes de France un pauvre jongleur.
In the days when King Louis reigned, one could find on the roads of France a poor juggler.
B1–B22,014 words~61 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Chèvre de monsieur Seguin
Monsieur Seguin's Goat · Alphonse Daudet, 1866
Tu ne changeras donc jamais, mon pauvre Gringoire !
You never change, do you, my poor Gringoire!
B1–B22,074 words~63 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Ficelle
A Piece of String · Guy de Maupassant, 1883
Ce jour-là, sur tous les chemins qui menaient à Goderville, les campagnards et leurs femmes avançaient vers le bourg.
That day, on all the roads leading to Goderville, the country folk and their wives were making their way toward the town.
B1–B22,293 words~69 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Cafetière
The Coffee Pot · Théophile Gautier, 1831
L'automne dernier, un ami nous invita pour quelques jours, mes deux camarades d'atelier et moi.
Last autumn, a friend invited us over for a few days, my two studio companions and me.
B1–B22,372 words~72 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
La Parure
The Necklace · Guy de Maupassant, 1884
Elle faisait partie de ces jeunes femmes ravissantes et pleines de charme que le hasard, comme s'il s'était trompé, fait naître dans une modeste famille de fonctionnaires.
She was one of those ravishing, charming young women whom fate, as if by mistake, causes to be born into a modest family of civil servants.
B1–B22,770 words~84 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Mateo Falcone
Prosper Mérimée, 1829
En quittant Porto-Vecchio pour gagner l'intérieur de la Corse, le terrain s'élève rapidement.
Leaving Porto-Vecchio to head into the Corsican interior, the land rises steeply.
B1–B23,678 words~111 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
Véra
Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, 1874
On répète depuis longtemps que l'amour est plus puissant que la mort.
People have long repeated that love is more powerful than death.
B1–B23,707 words~112 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES DE IT PT KO
B2 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.








