Chapter 18 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 XVIII
Chapter 18 of A Diversity of Creatures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She went on, still talking through the black window-pane: 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it. She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more. Never any more.... Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
Chapter 18 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.
plural of “allowance” — an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading “She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.”
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.”
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:”
dearly loved
From this reading “'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.”
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading “'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.”
any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid (fluid or gas)
From this reading “'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.”
not in physical motion
From this reading “She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:”
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading “She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
(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 She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
plural of “allowance” — an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Never any more....
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
dearly loved
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
engage in
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never any more....
not any; not one
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid (fluid or gas)
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She said she'd make all allowances for one, but no more.
not in physical motion
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
precisely as stated
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She went on, still talking through the black window-pane:
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then, you didn't know 'oo Charlie was all this time?'
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'Your pore dear auntie was very kind about it.
Chapter 18 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 18 holds 411 sentences of A Diversity of Creatures, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 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 18 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.
