A2 · Italiano
Italian short stories for A2 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in Italian, 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 Lupa
The She-Wolf · Giovanni Verga, 1880
Era alta e magra.
She was tall and thin.
A1–A21,135 words~34 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Cavalleria rusticana
Giovanni Verga, 1880
Turiddu Macca era il figlio della gnà Nunzia.
Turiddu Macca was the son of old Nunzia.
A1–A21,603 words~49 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il treno ha fischiato
The Train Whistled · Luigi Pirandello, 1914
I colleghi di Belluca parlavano di lui per strada e usavano le parole difficili dei medici. "Frenesia," dicevano. "Encefalite.
Belluca's colleagues talked about him in the street and used the doctors' difficult words. “Frenzy,” they said. “Encephalitis.
A1–A21,661 words~50 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Un osso di morto
A Dead Man's Bone · Iginio Ugo Tarchetti, 1869
Racconto un fatto strano, e chi legge deciderà che cosa pensarne.
I will tell of a strange event, and whoever reads it will decide what to think of it.
A1–A21,667 words~51 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il piccolo scrivano fiorentino
The Little Florentine Scribe · Edmondo De Amicis, 1886
Giulio aveva dodici anni ed era un bel ragazzo di Firenze.
Giulio was twelve years old and was a handsome boy from Florence.
A1–A21,957 words~59 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
La giara
The Jar · Luigi Pirandello, 1909
Quell'anno gli olivi erano carichi e c'erano molte olive sugli alberi.
That year the olive trees were loaded and there were many olives on the branches.
A1–A22,532 words~77 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il Natale del Consigliere
The Councillor's Christmas · Grazia Deledda, 1912
La nave doveva salpare alle cinque, ma già alle quattro e mezza era piena di gente.
The ship was supposed to sail at five, but by half past four it was already full of people.
A1–A23,215 words~97 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Vino generoso
Generous Wine · Italo Svevo, 1927
Una nipote di mia moglie stava per sposarsi.
A niece of my wife's was about to get married.
A1–A24,928 words~149 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE 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.