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A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be
A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.
And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.
And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.
"Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.
For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.
/ənd soʊ ɪt wɑːz ðæt kəˈlʌmboʊ sæt əˈloʊn ɪn ðə ˈkæbən ʌv ðə ʃɪp wɪtʃ ˈkærid hɪm təˈwɔːrdz ðə lænd ʌv hɪz ˌɪˈmædʒənɪŋ/
Line 2
And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.
Line 3
And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.
Line 4
"Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.
/wel naʊ ˈtruːli sɜːr sed kəˈlʌmboʊ ðɪs ɪz ˈveri ˈkjʊriəs/
Line 5
For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."
/fɔːr aɪ duː nɑːt rɪˈmɛm.bər ˈsiːɪŋ juː əˈmʌŋ ðə kruː nɔːr wɜːr juː ˈevər æt ðə kɔːrt ənd ɑːn ðə hoʊl sed kəˈlʌmboʊ jɔːr red her ənd jɔːr ˈsnɪrɪŋ ɡrɪn ˌɪntərˈʌpt maɪ driːmz ənd driːmz sed kəˈlʌmboʊ ɑːr ɔːl ðæt aɪ hæv left/

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.

Canaries noun US /kəˈneriz/

a group of mountainous islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa forming Spanish provinces

From this reading “And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.”

Colombo noun US /kəˈlʌmboʊ/

the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka; has one of the largest harbors in the world; is located on the western coast of the island of Ceylon

From this reading “And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.”

fearsome adjective US /ˈfɪrsəm/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading “And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.”

imagining verb US /ˌɪˈmædʒənɪŋ/

-ing form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading “And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.”

interrupt verb US /ˌɪntərˈʌpt/

make a break in

From this reading “For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."”

madman noun US /ˈmædmæn/

an insane person

From this reading “And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.”

monsters noun US /ˈmɑːnstərz/

plural of “monster” — an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading “And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.”

sneering adjective US /ˈsnɪrɪŋ/

expressive of contempt

From this reading “For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."”

All words in this reading · 101

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 And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

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 For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

cabinnounUS /ˈkæbən/

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

CanariesnounUS /kəˈneriz/

a group of mountainous islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa forming Spanish provinces

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

ColombonounUS /kəˈlʌmboʊ/

the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka; has one of the largest harbors in the world; is located on the western coast of the island of Ceylon

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

commandedverbUS /kəˈmændɪd/

past form of “command” — be in command of

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

crewnounUS /kruː/

the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

dreamsnounUS /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

fearsomeadjectiveUS /ˈfɪrsəm/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

grinnounUS /ɡrɪn/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

horribleadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəbəl/

provoking horror

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

how

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

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

imaginingverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənɪŋ/

-ing form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

interruptverbUS /ˌɪntərˈʌpt/

make a break in

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

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 And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

madmannounUS /ˈmædmæn/

an insane person

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

monstersnounUS /ˈmɑːnstərz/

plural of “monster” — an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/

not in physical motion

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

observedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

others

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/

plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

seasnounUS /siːz/

plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

sneeringadjectiveUS /ˈsnɪrɪŋ/

expressive of contempt

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

strangelyadverbUS /ˈstreɪndʒli/

in a strange manner

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

tellsnounUS /telz/

plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "Well now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(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 now, truly, sir", said Colombo, "This is very curious.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

westernadjectiveUS /ˈwestərn/

relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading And so it was that Colombo sat alone in the cabin of the ship which carried him towards the land of his imagining.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And strange and somewhat fearsome it was to the sailors to see their captain sitting thus motionless night after night, for already had they left the Canaries far behind and some there were who said that a madman commanded their ship, and others who whispered of horrible monsters in these western seas.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading And the tale tells how one night Colombo observed across his table one who had not been sitting there a moment before and whose hair was strangely red.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading For I do not remember seeing you among the crew nor were you ever at the court, and on the whole", said Colombo, "your red hair and your sneering grin interrupt my dreams, and dreams", said Colombo, "are all that I have left."

Chapter 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be by Donald Ogden Stewart holds 188 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be contain?

Chapter 2 holds 188 sentences of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be by Donald Ogden Stewart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 2 of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be

Common questions about reading A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be by Donald Ogden Stewart on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1210 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #1478, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be take to read?

About 100 minutes of reading across 242 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wherein
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Found
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Curiously
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Irreverent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.