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A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales
A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?
Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.
So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).
But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.
And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?
Line 2
Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.
/ðaʊ hæst nɑːt ˈiːvɪn ɪˈnʌf wɪt tuː meɪk ə ɡʊd fuːl/
Line 3
So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).
/soʊ fɔːr ˈmɪstrəs ˈmeriən hæd ə ʃɑːrp tʌŋ æt taɪmz/
Line 4
But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.
/bʌt hiː wɑːz nɑːt soʊ mʌtʃ æz ˈrʌfəld ənd læft ˈiːvɪn əˈɡen moʊst ˈhɑːrtəli/
Line 5
And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

comrade noun US /ˈkɑːmræd/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading “And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."”

fashioned adjective US /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading “And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."”

goddess noun US /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading “Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?”

heartily adverb US /ˈhɑːrtəli/

with gusto and without reservation

From this reading “But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.”

Marian adjective US /ˈmeriən/

of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary

From this reading “So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).”

perceive verb US /pərˈsiːv/

to become aware of through the senses

From this reading “And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."”

ruffled adjective US /ˈrʌfəld/

shaken into waves or undulations as by wind

From this reading “But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.”

yon adjective US /jɑːn/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading “And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

fairy princess noun + noun

In this reading “And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."”

sharp tongue adjective + noun

a bitter or critical manner of speaking

In this reading “So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).”

at times preposition + noun

sporadically and infrequently

In this reading “So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).”

All words in this reading · 67

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

comradenounUS /ˈkɑːmræd/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

fashionedadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

goddessnounUS /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

heartilyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrtəli/

with gusto and without reservation

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

ladnounUS /læd/

a boy or man

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

MarianadjectiveUS /ˈmeriən/

of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

MistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

perceiveverbUS /pərˈsiːv/

to become aware of through the senses

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

ruffledadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəld/

shaken into waves or undulations as by wind

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

saith

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

sillyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪli/

ludicrous, foolish

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Then she answered and saith, "Thou silly lad, how can I be a goddess and a lady both in one?

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading So!" (for Mistress Marian had a sharp tongue at times).

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But he was not so much as ruffled, and laughed even again, most heartily.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

wealnoun

a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

witnounUS /wɪt/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading Thou hast not even enough wit to make a good fool.

yonadjectiveUS /jɑːn/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading And he said, "I do perceive that thou art not fashioned either as goddess or lady, therefore be my comrade, and we will fight together for the weal o' yon fairy princess."

Chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales by Amélie Rives holds 442 sentences, grouped into 89 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales contain?

Chapter 4 holds 442 sentences of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales by Amélie Rives exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 442 sentences, grouped into 89 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 4 of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales?

Work through the 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 89 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales

Common questions about reading A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales by Amélie Rives on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales?

Yes. All 1792 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26356 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26356, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales take to read?

About 149 minutes of reading across 359 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales section by section

How to work through A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old-Time Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.