Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
At the Back of the North Wind
At the Back of the North Wind

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of At the Back of the North Wind is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for At the Back of the North Wind
Context Illustration Reading 1/7 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.
He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.
The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.
If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.
But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

At the Back of the North Wind

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of At the Back of the North Wind is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.
Line 2
He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.
Line 3
The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.
Line 4
If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.
Line 5
But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

All words in this reading · 86

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.

ached

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

agreed

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

already

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

and

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

at

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

attended

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

baby

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

bear

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

bed

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

been

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

but

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

by

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

could

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

day

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

delightful

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

Diamond

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

Diamond's

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

doing

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

end

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

even

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

ever

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

father

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

felt

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

fever

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

fire

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

first

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

for

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

forced

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

found

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

games

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

given

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

got

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

had

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

have

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

he

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

head

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

him

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

his

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

home

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

If

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

ill

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

in

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

indeed

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

into

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

it

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

keep

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

kind

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

late

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

listened

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

looking

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

miserable

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

more

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

next

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

night

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

no

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

not

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

nursed

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

of

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

own

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

pleasure

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

quiet

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

rather

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

room

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

sang

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

sick

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

sitting

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

so

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

some

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

songs

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

sweet

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

taken

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

than

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

the

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

there

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

time

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

to

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

took

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

up

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

very

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

voice

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

From this reading But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own room, and had no end of quiet games with him there.

was

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

WHEN

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

From this reading WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

wife

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

From this reading The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

with

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

work

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

From this reading He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

would

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

From this reading If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.

Chapter 23 of At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald holds 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 23 of At the Back of the North Wind contain?

Chapter 23 holds 39 sentences of At the Back of the North Wind, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 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 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 23 of At the Back of the North Wind?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.