A Muramasa blade

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Louis Wertheimber • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

But he said no more, and hung his head abashed; for a stern glance from his older companions showed him plainly that many words and loud talk were not only not needed, but even out of place at this moment.

In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

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 Muramasa blade Louis Wertheimber

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly. But he said no more, and hung his head abashed; for a stern glance from his older companions showed him plainly that many words and loud talk were not only not needed, but even out of place at this moment. In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner. He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room. The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

A Muramasa blade

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

Line 2

/bʌt hiː sed noʊ mɔːr ənd hʌŋ hɪz hed əˈbæʃt fɔːr ə stɜːrn ɡlæns frʌm hɪz ˈoʊldər kəmˈpænjənz ʃoʊd hɪm ˈpleɪnli ðæt ˈmeni wɜːrdz ənd laʊd tɔːk wɜːr nɑːt ˈoʊnli nɑːt ˈniːdəd bʌt ˈiːvɪn aʊt ʌv pleɪs æt ðɪs ˈmoʊmənt/

Line 3

In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

Line 4

He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

Line 5

The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

/ðə puːr ˈfeloʊ ˈhɑːrdli əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd ðə ˈæktɪv pɑːrt əˈsaɪnd tuː hɪm ɪn ðɪs ˈdrɑːmə/

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.

abashed adjective US /əˈbæʃt/

feeling or caused to feel ill at ease or self-conscious or ashamed

From this reading “But he said no more, and hung his head abashed; for a stern glance from his older companions showed him plainly that many words and loud talk were not only not needed, but even out of place at this moment.”

appreciated adjective US /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading “The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.”

assigned adjective US /əˈsaɪnd/

appointed to a post or duty

From this reading “The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.”

enemy's noun US /ˈenəmiz/

possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force

fascinated adjective US /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/

having your attention fixated as though by a spell

From this reading “In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.”

platters noun US /ˈplætərz/

plural of “platter” — a large shallow dish used for serving food

From this reading “He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.”

precede verb US /prɪˈsiːd/

be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading “He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.”

unnoticed adjective US /ənˈnoʊtɪst/

not noticed

From this reading “In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.”

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.

younger member adjective + noun

In this reading ““Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.”

poor fellow adjective + noun

In this reading “The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.”

remained unnoticed verb + adjective counted as “remain unnoticed”

In this reading “In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.”

active part adjective + noun

In this reading “The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.”

glancing round verb + noun counted as “glance round”

In this reading “In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.”

on the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “on … floor”

In this reading “He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.”

young soldier adjective + noun

In this reading “He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.”

many words adjective + noun

In this reading “But he said no more, and hung his head abashed; for a stern glance from his older companions showed him plainly that many words and loud talk were not only not needed, but even out of place at this moment.”

All words in this reading · 86

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 “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

abashedadjectiveUS /əˈbæʃt/

feeling or caused to feel ill at ease or self-conscious or ashamed

From this reading But he said no more, and hung his head abashed; for a stern glance from his older companions showed him plainly that many words and loud talk were not only not needed, but even out of place at this moment.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

appreciatedadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

assignedadjectiveUS /əˈsaɪnd/

appointed to a post or duty

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

attendedadjectiveUS /əˈtendɪd/

playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

enemy'snounUS /ˈenəmiz/

possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

excitedlyadverbUS /ɪkˈsaɪtədli/

with excitement; in an excited manner

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/

having your attention fixated as though by a spell

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

glancingverbUS /ˈɡlænsɪŋ/

-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headnounUS /hed/

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

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

loudadjectiveUS /laʊd/

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

membernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

plainlyadverbUS /ˈpleɪnli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

plattersnounUS /ˈplætərz/

plural of “platter” — a large shallow dish used for serving food

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The poor fellow hardly appreciated the active part assigned to him in this drama.

precedeverbUS /prɪˈsiːd/

be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

Sennoske

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

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

Suke

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

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

Takanoun

the basic unit of money in Bangladesh; equal to 100 paisa

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

unnoticedadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊtɪst/

not noticed

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading In glancing round the room, Sennoske saw the servant who had attended him, and who, fascinated by what he had seen and heard, had remained unnoticed in a corner.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

Yamagawa's

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

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading He was summoned, and told to put Yamagawa’s head on one of the platters lying on the floor, and to precede the young soldier to his enemy’s room.

youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading “Now for Taka Suke!” cried a younger member of the party, excitedly.

Chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade by Louis Wertheimber holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 12 of A Muramasa blade contain?

Chapter 12 holds 101 sentences of A Muramasa blade, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade by Louis Wertheimber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 12 of A Muramasa blade?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Muramasa blade

Common questions about reading A Muramasa blade by Louis Wertheimber on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Muramasa blade?

Yes. All 1063 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72602 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Muramasa blade is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #72602, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Muramasa blade take to read?

About 88 minutes of reading across 213 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Muramasa blade section by section

How to work through A Muramasa blade section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 13 chapters of A Muramasa blade to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Muramasa blade

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Muramasa blade, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Muramasa blade; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feudalism: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Muramasa blade; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Japan: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Muramasa blade; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
University: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Muramasa blade; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII

What does chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade contain?

How do I study chapter 12 of A Muramasa blade?

Can chapter 12 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading A Muramasa blade

How to read A Muramasa blade section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in A Muramasa blade