L2 – Pre-Intermediate

Stories for pre-intermediate level students, equivalent to CEFR B1.

Love Like Salt

25/05/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

Satisfied, he asked the third daughter, ‘How much do you love me, my dear?’
The third daughter was more creative than the other two. She often got into trouble by saying clever things.
So she said, ‘I love you like fresh meat loves salt.’
Her father frowned. ‘You don’t love me at all!’ he cried. ‘Get out of my house.’
And so he threw her out of the house.
The girl cried and cried, but she had to find a way to live. So she walked until she reached a marsh. There, she took lots of long grass and made it into a cloak. The cloak covered her whole body, and hid her expensive clothes.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Most Wanted Woman in Town

04/05/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

‘The Most Wanted Woman in Town has decided to have a competition,’ he announced.
The people all went quiet.
‘Lady Rae knows that you all want many things from her. But she will not give her prizes to any man or woman. You must win the key to her heart. And the key is here.’

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Mermaid of Zennor

13/04/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

One day, the mysterious woman noticed Mathew. After church ended, she smiled at him, and looked at the door. He followed her, and this time she walked slowly, so that he did not lose her. However, he could still not work up the courage to walk beside her.
Finally, she came to the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Mathew went and stood beside her, and they talked for a while.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Singing Widow

23/03/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

Life cannot continue in such a way, floating on a sea of misery. So one day, the widow cried her final tear, closed her eyes, and never woke up again.
That is, she never woke up in the human world. Of course, she went to the land of the dead, and she was filled with happiness. Now she could meet her husband again! She ran through the streets of the land of the dead, climbed hills and mountains, asked everywhere. But she could not find the man she loved.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A Rather Large Cat

16/03/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

‘Kitty, pretty kitty!’ cried one of the trolls. ‘Does kitty want a sausage?’
The “kitty” did not want a sausage. The kitty wanted to get a good night’s sleep, after so much travelling, and had no plans of eating anyone. But when he turned over and saw the troll holding a fork with a sausage on it, his stomach started to rumble.
So the polar bear jumped out and bit the sausage, but he also bit the troll’s arm with it!

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Taken by the Fairies

09/03/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

’Will you marry me?’
The beautiful man laughed. ‘You don’t even know my name.’
‘What is your name?’
‘Jasper.’
Harold sighed. ‘A wonderful name. So, Jasper, will you marry me?’

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dear Heart Chapter 5

16/02/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

‘Fergus.’ She took my chin and pulled my face towards hers. ‘There’s a simple way to get around all this. I don’t want to fire Cassandra, of course.’ She was moving closer. Her breath smelt of whisky and cigarettes. My heart screamed at me to get out. ‘So just do what I say…’
‘No.’
She froze, inches away from kissing me.
‘No?’
‘No.’

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dear Heart Chapter 4

09/02/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

Our classes are over. Clearly, you’re doing fine without me, and I’ll just break your ‘nice pen’ if you try to help me. We’re colleagues, anyway. Let’s keep it that way.
The handwriting was completely different, back to being a drunken spider, and it only got messier as my tears fell on the page.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dear Heart Chapter 3

02/02/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

‘Now,’ she said, pulling off her gloves. ‘You still have to teach me about poetry. I really don’t know very much. Do we write with a pen, or our bodies?’
I grinned. ‘We can use both.’
And we did.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dear Heart Chapter 2

26/01/2021 L2 - Pre-Intermediate

‘You have such soft hands,’ she said.
‘You like that?’
‘Yes.’ She moved her thumb over the back of my hand, but she continued to look in my eyes. ‘And your lips are, too…’
I leant forward, ready to kiss her.
And then the door to her apartment flew open.

Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | Download