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A crown of straw
A crown of straw

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A crown of straw is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.
Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.
At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.
“She is right, Johann.
There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.
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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 crown of straw

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A crown of straw is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.
Line 2
Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.
Line 3
At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.
Line 4
“She is right, Johann.
Line 5
There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.
/ðer ɑːr sʌm θɪŋz bɪˈɑːnd maɪ ˈpaʊər ɔːr jʊrz tuː ˈɔːltər/

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.

affected adjective US /əˈfektɪd/

acted upon; influenced

From this reading “Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.”

alter verb US /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading “There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.”

disturb verb US /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading “Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.”

parting noun US /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading “THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.”

profoundly adverb US /proʊˈfaʊndli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading “Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.”

reflections noun US /rɪˈflekʃənz/

plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading “Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.”

utterance noun US /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading “At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.”

venture noun US /ˈventʃər/

any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

From this reading “Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.”

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.

gave utterance verb + noun counted as “give utterance”

In this reading “At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.”

At length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

In this reading “At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.”

parting words noun + noun

In this reading “THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.”

STATE PRISON noun + noun

a prison maintained by a state of the U.S.

In this reading “THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.”

some time adjective + noun

In this reading “THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.”

in silence preposition + noun

In this reading “THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.”

some things adjective + noun

In this reading “There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

affectedadjectiveUS /əˈfektɪd/

acted upon; influenced

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

alterverbUS /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “She is right, Johann.

Johann

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

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

Maximilian

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

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

partingnounUS /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

PRISONnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

profoundlyadverbUS /proʊˈfaʊndli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

reflectionsnounUS /rɪˈflekʃənz/

plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “She is right, Johann.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “She is right, Johann.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

STATEnounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading At length Maximilian raised his head, and gave utterance to the thoughts of his mind.

venturenounUS /ˈventʃər/

any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Johann saw that the King was profoundly affected by what he had just listened to, and did not venture to disturb his reflections.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading THE STATE PRISON FOR some time after the parting words of the girl, Maximilian and his companion walked on in silence.

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading There are some things beyond my power, or yours, to alter.

Chapter 14 of A crown of straw by Allen Upward holds 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 14 of A crown of straw contain?

Chapter 14 holds 169 sentences of A crown of straw, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of A crown of straw by Allen Upward exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 14 of A crown of straw?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 crown of straw

Common questions about reading A crown of straw by Allen Upward on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A crown of straw?

Yes. All 4883 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A crown of straw is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A crown of straw take to read?

About 406 minutes of reading across 977 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in A crown of straw

Words and structures a reader meets early in A crown of straw, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A crown of straw; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Queen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A crown of straw; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A crown of straw; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prince
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A crown of straw; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.