The Purple Fern
The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume is available here as the complete text, split into 1253 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #56233.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Purple Fern
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1244 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I
- Chapter II An Adventure
- Chapter III Twins
- Chapter IV A Mystery
- Chapter V The Vicar
- Chapter VI A Discovery
- Chapter VII
- Chapter VIII What Happened Next
- Chapter IX
- Chapter X A Chance Whisper
- Chapter XI The Dog
- Chapter XII
- Chapter XIII The New Epoch
- Chapter XIV Prudence
- Chapter XV The Vicar's Troubles
- Chapter XVI A Strange Communication
- Chapter XVII
- Chapter XVIII The Unexpected Happens
- Chapter XIX Zara, the Butterfly
- Chapter XX Proof Positive
- Chapter XXI Ackworth's News
- Chapter XXII The Anonymous Letter
- Chapter XXIII An Important Discovery
- Chapter XXIV Ferdinand Baird at Bay
- Chapter XXV The Whole Truth
- Chapter XXVI Nemesis
This edition of The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #56233, divided into 26 chapters and 1253 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Where can I read The Purple Fern in full?
The complete text of The Purple Fern is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #56233 and divided into 1253 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #56233, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 6262 sentences across 26 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is The Purple Fern divided for reading?
The Purple Fern is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Purple Fern as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1253 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The sections are gathered into 26 chapters.
Can I hear The Purple Fern read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Purple Fern can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Purple Fern can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading The Purple Fern
Common questions about reading The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Purple Fern?
Yes. All 6262 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56233 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Purple Fern is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #56233, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Purple Fern take to read?
About 521 minutes of reading across 1253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Purple Fern section by section
How to work through The Purple Fern section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Purple Fern to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Purple Fern
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Purple Fern, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Fergus
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purple Fern; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Author
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purple Fern; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Mystery
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purple Fern; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Hansom
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purple Fern; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.