Chapter 26 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang! Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar. Then came a roar from Big Bob. Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window. One sleeve was in ribbons.
Chapter 26 of Andy the Acrobat is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
strike violently
From this reading “A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang!”
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading “Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.”
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading “Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.”
plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
From this reading “Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.”
plural of “ribbon” — any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading “One sleeve was in ribbons.”
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading “Then came a roar from Big Bob.”
the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading “One sleeve was in ribbons.”
very drunk
From this reading “Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang!
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
strike violently
From this reading A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang!
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then came a roar from Big Bob.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Then came a roar from Big Bob.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then came a roar from Big Bob.
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One sleeve was in ribbons.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One sleeve was in ribbons.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang!
plural of “ribbon” — any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading One sleeve was in ribbons.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading Then came a roar from Big Bob.
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading A ROYAL REWARD Bang! bang!
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading One sleeve was in ribbons.
very drunk
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then came a roar from Big Bob.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One sleeve was in ribbons.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.
Chapter 26 of Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 26 holds 211 sentences of Andy the Acrobat, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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.
Common questions about reading Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10396 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10396, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 347 minutes of reading across 835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Andy the Acrobat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Andy the Acrobat to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Andy the Acrobat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
