A1 · Español
Spanish short stories for A1 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in Spanish, 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 pared
The Wall · Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, 1896
En el pueblo de Campanar vivían dos familias.
In the village of Campanar there lived two families.
A1–A2938 words~28 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
A la deriva
Drifting · Horacio Quiroga, 1912
El hombre caminaba por el monte y pisó algo blando en el suelo.
The man was walking through the jungle and stepped on something soft on the ground.
A1–A21,015 words~31 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
El encaje roto
The Torn Lace · Emilia Pardo Bazán, 1897
Me invitaron a una boda, porque Micaelita Aránguiz se casaba con Bernardo de Meneses.
I was invited to a wedding, because Micaelita Aránguiz was marrying Bernardo de Meneses.
A1–A21,196 words~36 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
La muerte de la emperatriz de la China
The Death of the Empress of China · Rubén Darío, 1890
Suzette era una muchacha joven y muy bonita.
Suzette was a young girl, and very pretty.
A1–A21,777 words~54 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
Yzur
Leopoldo Lugones, 1906
Compré un mono en un circo que ya no tenía dinero.
I bought a monkey from a circus that had no more money.
A1–A21,910 words~58 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
¡Adiós, Cordera!
Adiós, Cordera! · Leopoldo Alas «Clarín», 1892
Tres amigos, siempre juntos: Rosa, Pinín y su vaca.
Three friends, always together: Rosa, Pinín, and their cow.
A1–A22,174 words~66 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
El monte de las ánimas
The Mountain of Souls · Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, 1861
Era la noche de difuntos.
It was the night of the dead.
A1–A22,188 words~66 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
El Chiflón del Diablo
The Devil's Shaft · Baldomero Lillo, 1904
Era una mañana fría de invierno.
It was a cold winter morning.
A1–A23,047 words~92 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO
A1 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.