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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?
It was impossible.
It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.
But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.
It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.
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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 XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?
/æn ˈɑːfəl prɪˈdɪkəmənt sliːp/
Line 2
It was impossible.
/ɪt wɑːz ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/
Line 3
It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.
Line 4
But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.
Line 5
It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.
/ɪt wɑːz ə lɔːŋ naɪt bʌt ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ɡɑːt ərˈaʊnd æt læst/

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.

cavern noun US /ˈkæv.ərn/

A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.

From this reading “It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.”

intolerable adjective US /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/

incapable of being tolerated or endured

From this reading “But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.”

jail noun US /dʒeɪl/

a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)

From this reading “It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.”

mangy adjective US /ˈmeɪndʒi/

having many worn or threadbare spots in the nap

From this reading “It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.”

miscarriage noun US /mɪˈskerədʒ/

failure of a plan

From this reading “But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.”

predicament noun US /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/

a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one

From this reading “AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?”

quarrelsome adjective US /ˈkwɔːrəlsəm/

given to quarreling

From this reading “It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.”

racking adjective US /ˈrækɪŋ/

causing great physical or mental suffering

From this reading “But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

AWFULadjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/

exceptionally bad or displeasing

From this reading AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

cavernnounUS /ˈkæv.ərn/

A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

consequencenounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəns/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

crowdverbUS /kraʊd/

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

dreamedadjectiveUS /driːmd/

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

drunkenadjectiveUS /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/

a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading It was impossible.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

intolerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/

incapable of being tolerated or endured

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was impossible.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

jailnounUS /dʒeɪl/

a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

mangyadjectiveUS /ˈmeɪndʒi/

having many worn or threadbare spots in the nap

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

miscarriagenounUS /mɪˈskerədʒ/

failure of a plan

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading It was a long night, but the morning got around at last.

noisomeadjective

causing or able to cause nausea

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

PREDICAMENTnounUS /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/

a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one

From this reading AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?

quarrelsomeadjectiveUS /ˈkwɔːrəlsəm/

given to quarreling

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

rackingadjectiveUS /ˈrækɪŋ/

causing great physical or mental suffering

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

rapscallions

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

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

sizenounUS /saɪz/

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

slave-quarters

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

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

SleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT Sleep?

song-singing

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

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was impossible.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

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

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading It would naturally have been impossible in that noisome cavern of a jail, with its mangy crowd of drunken, quarrelsome, and song-singing rapscallions.

yonderadjectiveUS /ˈjɑːndər/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading But the thing that made sleep all the more a thing not to be dreamed of, was my racking impatience to get out of this place and find out the whole size of what might have happened yonder in the slave-quarters in consequence of that intolerable miscarriage of mine.

Chapter 33 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 33 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court contain?

Chapter 33 holds 178 sentences of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 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 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 33 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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.

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

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

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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.