Chapter 4 of Balcony Stories is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Balcony Stories is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Eh, madame?" "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!" "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality. "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents." "Idiot!
Chapter 4 of Balcony Stories is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading “"Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."”
a person of subnormal intelligence
From this reading “"Idiot!”
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading “"Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"”
plural of “mushroom” — common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading “"Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"”
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading “"Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."”
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading “"Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."”
the quality of being universal; existing everywhere
From this reading “"Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.”
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading “"Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.”
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 "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
without stop or interruption
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
the act of consuming food
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Eh, madame?"
every person
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
to or in any or all places
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
a person of subnormal intelligence
From this reading "Idiot!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading "Eh, madame?"
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
plural of “mushroom” — common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
and nothing more
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
the quality of being universal; existing everywhere
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Everybody is eating them--" "Old Pomponnette," Jules continued, "only this morning offered me a plate, piled up high, for ten cents."
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading "Madame, there are fresh mushrooms everywhere in the market," waving his hand to show their universality.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Fresh mushrooms in the market, and you have not brought me any!"
Chapter 4 of Balcony Stories by Grace Elizabeth King holds 447 sentences, grouped into 90 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 4 holds 447 sentences of Balcony Stories, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Balcony Stories by Grace Elizabeth King exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 447 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 4 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 Balcony Stories by Grace Elizabeth King on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11514 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11514, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 150 minutes of reading across 362 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Balcony Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Balcony Stories 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 Balcony Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
