Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Papa Barlasch, they call me.” Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen. He seemed to know the house by instinct. His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart. At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 12/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 56–60
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.
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading “Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.”
possessive form of “carrier” — someone whose employment involves carrying something
From this reading “His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.”
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading “His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.”
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading “His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.”
plural of “herald” — (formal) a person who announces important news
From this reading “His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.”
with relatively high volume
From this reading “At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.”
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading “At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.”
plural of “utensil” — an implement for practical use (especially in a household)
From this reading “His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.”
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 His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
having companions or an escort
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Papa Barlasch, they call me.”
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Papa Barlasch, they call me.”
possessive form of “carrier” — someone whose employment involves carrying something
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
plural of “herald” — (formal) a person who announces important news
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
with relatively high volume
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Papa Barlasch, they call me.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading Papa Barlasch, they call me.”
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading At the kitchen door he stopped and sniffed loudly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Papa Barlasch, they call me.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He seemed to know the house by instinct.
in the direction of
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
plural of “utensil” — an implement for practical use (especially in a household)
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His progress was accompanied by a clatter of utensils like that which heralds the coming of a carrier's cart.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without awaiting an invitation he went forward towards the kitchen.
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 holds 153 sentences of Barlasch of the Guard, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 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.
Common questions about reading Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4849 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8158 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8158, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 404 minutes of reading across 970 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Barlasch of the Guard section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Barlasch of the Guard 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 Barlasch of the Guard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
