B2 · Español

    Spanish short stories for B2 learners

    Classic stories, retold for your level

    These are classics originally written in Spanish, 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.

    1. A la deriva

      Drifting · Horacio Quiroga, 1912

      El hombre apoyó el pie sobre algo de color pálido y, casi al mismo tiempo, notó que algo le clavaba los dientes en la carne.

      The man stepped on something pale and, almost at the same moment, felt something drive its teeth into his flesh.

      B1–B21,140 words~35 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    2. La pared

      The Wall · Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, 1896

      Cada vez que se cruzaban los nietos del tío Rabosa con alguno de los hijos de la viuda Casporra, todo el pueblo se enteraba enseguida.

      Every time old man Rabosa's grandsons crossed paths with one of widow Casporra's sons, the whole village found out at once.

      B1–B21,324 words~40 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    3. El encaje roto

      The Torn Lace · Emilia Pardo Bazán, 1897

      Me habían invitado al enlace de Micaelita Aránguiz, que se casaba con Bernardo de Meneses, pero no pude ir.

      I had been invited to the wedding of Micaelita Aránguiz, who was marrying Bernardo de Meneses, but I could not go.

      B1–B21,589 words~48 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    4. La muerte de la emperatriz de la China

      The Death of the Empress of China · Rubén Darío, 1890

      En una casa pequeña, al final de una calle cualquiera, había un salón diminuto.

      In a small house, at the end of some ordinary street, there was a tiny sitting room.

      B1–B22,381 words~72 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    5. El monte de las ánimas

      The Mountain of Souls · Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, 1861

      Una noche de difuntos, el tañido de las campanas me despertó a una hora incierta.

      On All Souls' Night, the tolling of the bells woke me at an uncertain hour.

      B1–B22,594 words~79 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    6. Yzur

      Leopoldo Lugones, 1906

      Adquirí al mono en la subasta de un circo que se había arruinado.

      I acquired the monkey at the auction of a circus that had gone bankrupt.

      B1–B23,025 words~92 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    7. ¡Adiós, Cordera!

      Adiós, Cordera! · Leopoldo Alas «Clarín», 1892

      Eran tres, y siempre andaban juntos: Rosa, Pinín y la Cordera.

      There were three of them, and they were always together: Rosa, Pinín, and Cordera.

      B1–B23,562 words~108 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR DE IT PT KO

    8. El Chiflón del Diablo

      The Devil's Shaft · Baldomero Lillo, 1904

      Aquella fría mañana de invierno, en una habitación baja y estrecha, el capataz del turno controlaba cómo bajaban los obreros.

      On that cold winter morning, in a low, narrow room, the shift foreman was checking on the workers going down.

      B1–B23,736 words~113 min to typeTranslation: EN UK FR 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.