Spring has finally arrived, but the winter’s aches and pains still linger. Marcovaldo, sitting on a sunny bench, meets Mr. Rizieri, an old man tormented by rheumatism. Between tales of ailments and crumpled newspapers, they discover a curious remedy: bee venom. From that moment, Marcovaldo hatches a bizarre idea that, through homemade experiments and unexpected disasters, will turn his home into a real battlefield.
A man is tormented by a single letter — and slowly loses his grip on reality.
This short and surreal story plays with obsession, language, and madness.
Best suited for B2 learners, the language is accessible but abstract, ideal for students who enjoy eerie, psychological narratives with a literary twist.
This is a story that blends mystery, fear, and a touch of irony, unfolding in 19th-century Italy. A simple bone, forgotte
n for years, becomes the center of a strange and unexpected encounter between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. An atmospheric and gripping tale, perfect for intermediate students of Italian.
This short story by Igino Ugo Tarchetti (1839–1869) has been simplified and adapted for intermediate students
A boy walks ten miles to reach his sick father in a hospital in Naples. Day after day, he stays by his side, full of love and hope. But at the end of his long vigil, something incredible is revealed, changing everything he believed.
In Renaissance Florence, an elderly doctor tries to help a seriously ill woman by examining a urine sample. Due to a mishap, the servant accidentally replaces the sample with her own. This mistake leads to a series of amusing misunderstandings and unexpected revelations, ending in a surprising cure, a marriage, and a new discovery that will change many lives.
Mazzarò, a poor Sicilian farmer, devotes his entire life to accumulating land, livestock, and crops. His intelligence and hard work make him one of the richest men in the region. But when old age comes, he realizes that his beloved possessions cannot follow him into death. A quiet tragedy about the desperate attachment to material wealth.
Story adapted from "Novelle rusticane" by Giovanni Verga (1840–1922), simplified and rewritten for intermediate-advanced learners (B2-C1 level).
At the age of twelve, Stefano Roi dreams of sailing the seas, but a mysterious creature begins to follow him: the feared colombre. For years, Stefano lives torn between fear and fascination, crossing oceans under its shadow. Only in old age does he discover the truth behind the creature's pursuit — a revelation both wonderful and tragically too late.
At the end of a long working day, crowds fill the shops, eager to buy goods. Marcovaldo, who cannot afford anything, enters a supermarket with his family just to wander among the aisles. But the temptation to fill their carts becomes too strong. A chaotic adventure begins, leading them to an unexpected and daring solution...
Jeff Peters and Andy Tucker are two seasoned tricksters with a new brilliant idea: a fake matrimonial agency to double their money. Everything goes smoothly—until emotions get in the way. In a game of deceit, where everyone is trying to fool someone else, the biggest surprise is that love might just be the ultimate trick.
In sixteenth-century Florence, Guasparri is a kind and wealthy goldsmith, but also very naive. Four cunning men deceive him with flattery, tricking him into bringing them the best wines for free. Later, they scare him with cruel pranks involving spirits and the dead. After bitter humiliations, Guasparri finally opens his eyes and chooses a quieter, wiser life with his family.
