Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.
Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.
Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.
But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.
No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.
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 Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.
/ðə ˈjæŋki ɪn sɜːrtʃ ʌv ædˈventʃərz ðer ˈnevər wɑːz sʌtʃ ə ˈkʌntri fɔːr ˈwɑːndərɪŋ ˈlaɪərz ənd ðeɪ wɜːr ʌv boʊθ ˈseksəz/
Line 2
Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.
Line 3
Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.
Line 4
But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.
Line 5
No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.
/noʊ ˈevribɑːdi ˈswɑːloʊd ðiːz ˈpiːpəlz laɪz hoʊl ənd ˈnevər æskt ə ˈkwestʃən ʌv ˈeni sɔːrt ɔːr əˈbaʊt ˈeniθɪŋ/

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.

captivity noun US /kæpˈtɪvəti/

the state of being a slave

From this reading “Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.”

credentials noun US /krəˈdenʃəlz/

a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts

From this reading “Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.”

lawless adjective US /ˈlɔːləs/

disobedient to or defiant of law

From this reading “Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.”

liars noun US /ˈlaɪərz/

plural of “liar” — a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly

From this reading “THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.”

locality noun US /loʊˈkæləti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading “Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.”

pointer noun US /ˈpɔɪntər/

a strong slender smooth-haired dog of Spanish origin having a white coat with brown or black patches; scents out and points to game

From this reading “Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.”

sexes noun US /ˈseksəz/

plural of “sex” — either of the two categories (male or female) into which most organisms are divided

From this reading “THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.”

tramps noun US /træmpz/

plural of “tramp” — a long walk usually for exercise or pleasure

From this reading “Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.”

All words in this reading · 101

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 THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

ADVENTURESnounUS /ædˈventʃərz/

plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

arrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/

-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

captivitynounUS /kæpˈtɪvəti/

the state of being imprisoned

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

common-sense

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

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

credentialsnounUS /krəˈdenʃəlz/

a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

far-away

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

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

HardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

lawlessadjectiveUS /ˈlɔːləs/

without law or control

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

liarsnounUS /ˈlaɪərz/

plural of “liar” — a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

liesnounUS /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

localitynounUS /loʊˈkæləti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

novelettenoun

a short novel

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/

possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

pointernounUS /ˈpɔɪntər/

a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

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

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

routenounUS /ruːt/

an established line of travel or access

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

scoundrelnounUS /ˈskaʊndrəl/

a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

SEARCHverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

sexesnounUS /ˈseksəz/

plural of “sex” — activities associated with sexual intercourse

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

swallowedverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊd/

past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading But nobody ever thought of so simple and common-sense a thing at that.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

trampsnounUS /træmpz/

plural of “tramp” — a vagrant

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/

migratory

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

wantingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːntɪŋ/

nonexistent

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading No, everybody swallowed these people's lies whole, and never asked a question of any sort or about anything.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with a tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some far-away castle where she was held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel, usually a giant.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

YANKEEnounUS /ˈjæŋki/

an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

From this reading THE YANKEE IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURES There never was such a country for wandering liars; and they were of both sexes.

yesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Now you would think that the first thing the king would do after listening to such a novelette from an entire stranger, would be to ask for credentials--yes, and a pointer or two as to locality of castle, best route to it, and so on.

Chapter 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court contain?

Chapter 10 holds 138 sentences of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 10 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Common questions about reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Yes. All 5690 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #86 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #86, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court take to read?

About 474 minutes of reading across 1138 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court section by section

How to work through A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court 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 Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Camelot--camelot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Myself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Don't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remember
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.