Chapter 3 of A Diversity of Creatures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A Diversity of Creatures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'Yes! They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.' 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply. 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves. They can make speeches hours long.'
Chapter 3 of A Diversity of Creatures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading “They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'”
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading “They can make speeches hours long.'”
a long loud emotional utterance
From this reading “They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'”
a disorderly crowd of people
From this reading “They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'”
delivered from danger
From this reading “They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'”
and nothing more
From this reading “'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.”
plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading “They can make speeches hours long.'”
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading “'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading They can make speeches hours long.'
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading They can make speeches hours long.'
a long loud emotional utterance
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
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 They can make speeches hours long.'
engage in
From this reading They can make speeches hours long.'
a disorderly crowd of people
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
and nothing more
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
delivered from danger
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
and nothing more
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading They can make speeches hours long.'
express in words
From this reading 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'But I don't,' answered the Great Vincent simply.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading 'Well then, they'll tell you themselves.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
used to ask for information about something
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
an affirmative
From this reading 'Yes!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading They were only rescued with difficulty from a howling mob--if you know what that is.'
Chapter 3 of A Diversity of Creatures by Rudyard Kipling holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 3 holds 411 sentences of A Diversity of Creatures, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A Diversity of Creatures by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.
Common questions about reading A Diversity of Creatures by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1627 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Diversity of Creatures section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Diversity of Creatures to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Diversity of Creatures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
