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At the Back of the North Wind
At the Back of the North Wind

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of At the Back of the North Wind is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for At the Back of the North Wind
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.
But it was something quite different.
South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.
Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.
It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

At the Back of the North Wind

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of At the Back of the North Wind is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.
Line 2
But it was something quite different.
Line 3
South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.
Line 4
Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.
Line 5
It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

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.

Nights noun US /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading “A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

A

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

after

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

along

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

and

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

angry

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

asleep

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

at

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

awake

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

be

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

beast

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

bed

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

believing

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

But

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

cabman

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

came

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

chimneys

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

deeper

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

Diamond

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

different

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

drunken

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

FEW

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

for

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

growling

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

had

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

happy

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

have

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

he

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

head

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

heard

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

her

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

him

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

his

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

it

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

knew

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

like

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

little

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

loud

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

lulled

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

madman

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

moaning

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

night

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

North

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

not

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

now

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

of

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

only

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

quite

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

raving

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

room

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

round

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

she

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

something

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

South

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

suddenly

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

sure

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

that

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

the

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

this

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

thundering

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

to

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

up

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

very

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

voice

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

wakened

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

From this reading South Wind was moaning round the chimneys, to be sure, for she was not very happy that night, but it was not her voice that had wakened Diamond.

wall

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

was

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

From this reading But it was something quite different.

when

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

whose

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

wider

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

From this reading It was a loud, angry voice, now growling like that of a beast, now raving like that of a madman; and when Diamond came a little wider awake, he knew that it was the voice of the drunken cabman, the wall of whose room was at the head of his bed.

Wind

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

woke

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

From this reading A FEW nights after this, Diamond woke up suddenly, believing he heard North Wind thundering along.

would

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

From this reading Her voice would only have lulled him the deeper asleep.

Chapter 18 of At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 of At the Back of the North Wind contain?

Chapter 18 holds 86 sentences of At the Back of the North Wind, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 of At the Back of the North Wind?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 At the Back of the North Wind

Common questions about reading At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of At the Back of the North Wind?

Yes. All 6064 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #225 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of At the Back of the North Wind is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #225, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does At the Back of the North Wind take to read?

About 505 minutes of reading across 1213 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read At the Back of the North Wind section by section

How to work through At the Back of the North Wind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 38 chapters of At the Back of the North Wind 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 At the Back of the North Wind

Words and structures a reader meets early in At the Back of the North Wind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Asked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the Back of the North Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
North
A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the Back of the North Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Greek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the Back of the North Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the Back of the North Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.