Afloat in the Forest

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mayne Reid • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Afloat in the Forest

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

CHAPTER ONE.

THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/81

Afloat in the Forest

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

CHAPTER ONE.

/ˈtʃæptər wʌn/

Line 2

THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

/ðə ˈbrʌðərz æt hoʊm/

Line 3

Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

Line 4

Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

/dʒʌst ˈtwenti jɪrz əˈɡoʊ hiː daɪd ˈliːvɪŋ tuː ləˈment hɪm ə breɪs ʌv ˈnoʊbəl bɔɪz huːz ˈmʌðər ɔːl θriː hæd mɔːrnd wɪð laɪk proʊˈfaʊnd ˈsɑːroʊ bʌt ə ʃɔːrt waɪl bɪˈfɔːr/

Line 5

"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

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.

ancestors noun US /ˈænsestərz/

plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading “"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.”

brace verb US /breɪs/

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

From this reading “Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.”

Cornish noun US /ˈkɔːrnɪʃ/

a Celtic language spoken in Cornwall

From this reading “Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.”

dispensed adjective US /dɪˈspenst/

distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions

From this reading “"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.”

hospitality noun US /ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti/

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

From this reading “"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.”

lament verb US /ləˈment/

express grief verbally

From this reading “Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.”

Land's noun US /lændz/

possessive form of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.”

mourned verb US /mɔːrnd/

past form of “mourn” — feel sadness

From this reading “Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.”

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.

Twenty years noun + noun

In this reading “Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.”

twenty miles noun + noun counted as “twenty mile”

In this reading “Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.”

AT HOME preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “THE BROTHERS AT HOME.”

own house verb + noun

In this reading “"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.”

brace of verb + particle

In this reading “Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.”

all three adjective + noun

In this reading “Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.”

died in verb + particle counted as “die in”

In this reading “"Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.”

from the Land's preposition + article + noun counted as “from … land”

In this reading “Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

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 Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

ancestorsnounUS /ˈænsestərz/

plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

braceverbUS /breɪs/

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

BROTHERSnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

CornishnounUS /ˈkɔːrnɪʃ/

a Celtic language spoken in Cornwall

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

dispensedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspenst/

distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

EndnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

HOMEnounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

hospitalitynounUS /ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti/

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

hundredsnounUS /ˈhʌndrədz/

plural of “hundred” — ten 10s

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

lamentverbUS /ləˈment/

express grief verbally

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

Land'snounUS /lændz/

possessive form of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

mournedverbUS /mɔːrnd/

past form of “mourn” — feel sadness

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

profoundadjectiveUS /proʊˈfaʊnd/

showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

SquirenounUS /skwaɪr/

young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BROTHERS AT HOME.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

Trevannion

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

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

TwentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading "Squire" Trevannion, as he was called, died in his own house, where his ancestors for hundreds of years before him had dispensed hospitality.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Just twenty years ago he died, leaving to lament him a brace of noble boys, whose mother all three had mourned, with like profound sorrow, but a short while before.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Twenty years ago, not twenty miles from the Land's End, there lived a Cornish gentleman named Trevannion.

Chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest by Mayne Reid holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest contain?

Chapter 1 holds 406 sentences of Afloat in the Forest, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Afloat in the Forest

Common questions about reading Afloat in the Forest by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Afloat in the Forest?

Yes. All 4474 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35213 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Afloat in the Forest is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35213, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Afloat in the Forest take to read?

About 372 minutes of reading across 895 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Afloat in the Forest section by section

How to work through Afloat in the Forest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 11 chapters of Afloat in the Forest 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 Afloat in the Forest

Words and structures a reader meets early in Afloat in the Forest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Afloat in the Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brothers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Afloat in the Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Afloat in the Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Afloat in the Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

What does chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Afloat in the Forest?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Afloat in the Forest

How to read Afloat in the Forest section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Afloat in the Forest