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A Strange Story — Volume 05
A Strange Story — Volume 05

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Strange Story — Volume 05
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.
"Let me look at it."
"Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.
Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."
This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.
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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 Strange Story — Volume 05

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.
Line 2
"Let me look at it."
/let miː lʊk æt ɪt/
Line 3
"Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.
Line 4
Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."
/ˈmɑːrɡreɪv bɑːt ɪt ɪn ˈiːdʒəpt ənd dɪˈklerz ðæt ɪt ɪz ˈveri ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Line 5
This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.
/ðɪs stæf siːmd kənˈstrʌktəd frʌm ə riːd lʊkt æt ɪt siːmd laɪt ɪn ðə hænd ɪt felt ˈhevi ɪt wɑːz ʌv ə peɪl ˈfeɪdəd ˈjeloʊ rɔːt wɪð blæk rɪŋz æt ˈiːkwəl ˈdɪstənsəz ənd ˈɡreɪvən wɪð hæf əˈblɪtəreɪtɪd ˈkærəktərz ðæt siːmd ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪk/

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.

declares verb US /dɪˈklerz/

third-person singular of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading “Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."”

distances noun US /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading “This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.”

entwined verb US /enˈtwaɪnd/

past form of “entwine” — tie or link together

From this reading “"What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.”

graven adjective US /ˈɡreɪvən/

cut into a desired shape

From this reading “This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.”

hieroglyphic noun US /ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪk/

writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)

From this reading “This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.”

Margrave noun US /ˈmɑːrɡreɪv/

the military governor of a frontier province in medieval Germany

From this reading “"What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.”

obliterated adjective US /əˈblɪtəreɪtɪd/

reduced to nothingness

From this reading “This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.”

reed noun US /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading “This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Let me look at it."

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

boughtverbUS /bɑːt/

inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

canenounUS /keɪn/

a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

charactersnounUS /ˈkærəktərz/

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

constructedverbUS /kənˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “construct” — make by combining materials and parts

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

declaresverbUS /dɪˈklerz/

third-person singular of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

distancesnounUS /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

EgyptnounUS /ˈiːdʒəpt/

a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

entwinedverbUS /enˈtwaɪnd/

past form of “entwine” — tie or link together

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/

having lost freshness or brilliance of color

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

gravenadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪvən/

cut into a desired shape

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

hieroglyphicnounUS /ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪk/

writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Let me look at it."

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "Let me look at it."

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "Let me look at it."

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

MargravenounUS /ˈmɑːrɡreɪv/

the military governor of a frontier province in medieval Germany

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

Margrave's

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Let me look at it."

obliteratedadjectiveUS /əˈblɪtəreɪtɪd/

reduced to nothingness

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

reednounUS /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

staffnounUS /stæf/

personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

Strahan

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

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

strange-looking

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Margrave bought it in Egypt, and declares that it is very ancient."

walking-staff

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

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading This staff seemed constructed from a reed: looked at, it seemed light, in the hand it felt heavy; it was of a pale, faded yellow, wrought with black rings at equal distances, and graven with half obliterated characters that seemed hieroglyphic.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes," said Strahan," that cane, or rather walking-staff, is worth looking at.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "What a strange-looking cane you have, sir!" said a little girl, who was one of the party, and who had entwined her arm round Margrave's.

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 contain?

Chapter 10 holds 45 sentences of A Strange Story — Volume 05, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 05?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Strange Story — Volume 05

Common questions about reading A Strange Story — Volume 05 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Strange Story — Volume 05?

Yes. All 985 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7696 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7696, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Strange Story — Volume 05 take to read?

About 82 minutes of reading across 197 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Strange Story — Volume 05 section by section

How to work through A Strange Story — Volume 05 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of A Strange Story — Volume 05 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 Strange Story — Volume 05

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Strange Story — Volume 05, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lawyer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Something
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smile
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.