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A Dog of Flanders
A Dog of Flanders

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Dog of Flanders is here in full — 503 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Dog of Flanders
Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.
They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.
Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.
They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.
They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.
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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 Dog of Flanders

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Dog of Flanders is here in full — 503 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.
Line 2
They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.
/ðeɪ wɜːr frendz ɪn ə ˈfrendʃɪp ˈkloʊsər ðæn ˈbrʌðərhʊd/
Line 3
Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.
Line 4
They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.
/ðeɪ wɜːr boʊθ ʌv ðə seɪm eɪdʒ baɪ leŋkθ ʌv jɪrz jet wʌn wɑːz stɪl jʌŋ ənd ðə ˈʌðər wɑːz ɔːlˈredi oʊld/
Line 5
They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.
/ðeɪ hæd dwelt təˈɡeðər ˈɔːlmoʊst ɔːl ðer deɪz boʊθ wɜːr ˈɔːrfənd ənd ˈdestətuːt ənd oʊd ðer lɪvz tuː ðə seɪm hænd/

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.

brotherhood noun US /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading “They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.”

destitute adjective US /ˈdestətuːt/

poor enough to need help from others

From this reading “They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.”

dwelt verb US /dwelt/

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading “They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.”

Fleming noun US /ˈflemɪŋ/

British writer famous for writing spy novels about secret agent James Bond (1908-1964)

From this reading “Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.”

Illustrated verb US /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

Kirk noun US /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading “_Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.”

orphaned adjective US /ˈɔːrfənd/

deprived of parents by death or desertion

From this reading “They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.”

owed verb US /oʊd/

past form of “owe” — be obliged to pay or repay

From this reading “They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

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 _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

Ardennois

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

From this reading Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

brotherhoodnounUS /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

closeradverbUS /ˈkloʊsər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

ColornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

destituteadjectiveUS /ˈdestətuːt/

poor enough to need help from others

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

dweltverbUS /dwelt/

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

FlemingnounUS /ˈflemɪŋ/

British writer famous for writing spy novels about secret agent James Bond (1908-1964)

From this reading Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

IllustratedverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

KirknounUS /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

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 They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

MarianounUS /mərˈiːə/

a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

Nello

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

orphanedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrfənd/

deprived of parents by death or desertion

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

owedverbUS /oʊd/

past form of “owe” — be obliged to pay or repay

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

Patrasche

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading They had dwelt together almost all their days: both were orphaned and destitute, and owed their lives to the same hand.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Nello was a little Ardennois--Patrasche was a big Fleming.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _Illustrated In Color By_ Maria L. Kirk Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading They were both of the same age by length of years, yet one was still young, and the other was already old.

Chapter 1 of A Dog of Flanders by Ouida holds 503 sentences, grouped into 101 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 1 of A Dog of Flanders contain?

Chapter 1 holds 503 sentences of A Dog of Flanders, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Dog of Flanders by Ouida exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 503 sentences, grouped into 101 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 1 of A Dog of Flanders?

Work through the 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 101 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Dog of Flanders

Common questions about reading A Dog of Flanders by Ouida on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Dog of Flanders?

Yes. All 503 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7766 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Dog of Flanders is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7766, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Dog of Flanders take to read?

About 41 minutes of reading across 101 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Dog of Flanders section by section

How to work through A Dog of Flanders section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of A Dog of Flanders 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 Dog of Flanders

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

Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dog of Flanders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Color
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dog of Flanders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maria
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dog of Flanders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nello
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dog of Flanders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.