Bees, Shown to the Children

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ellison Hawks • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Bees, Shown to the Children

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXXI Reading 1/7

Bees, Shown to the Children Ellison Hawks

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE OLD HIVE AFTER A SWARM After the old queen has left with the swarm, the bees have to decide what to do about a new queen, and the eldest princess is, as we have already seen, clamouring to be set free from her cell. Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell. She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens. However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them. If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

Bees, Shown to the Children

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1

Line 2

Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

/ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ʃiː nɔːz əˈweɪ æt ðə flɔːr ʌv hɜːr sel ðə biːz kiːp hɜːr ə ˈprɪzənər baɪ ˈpaɪlɪŋ mɔːr wæks ɑːn ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ʌv ðə sel/

Line 3

She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

/ʃiː ɪz kept ðʌs ənˈtɪl ðə oʊld kwiːn hæz ɡɑːt əˈweɪ wɪð ðə swɔːrm ˈʌðərwaɪz ðer wʊd biː ə ˈterəbəl faɪt bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈraɪvəl kwiːnz/

Line 4

However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

/ˌhaʊˈevər ðə biːz naʊ ˌdɪˈsaɪd tuː set ðə jʌŋ ˈprɪn.ses æt ˈlɪb.ər.ti ənd tuː ˈkɔːrsəz ɑːr ˈoʊ.pən tuː ðem/

Line 5

If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

/ɪf ðə haɪv hæz ɡɑːt wʌt ɪz kɔːld ðə ˈswɔːrmɪŋ ˈfiːvər ðə ˈprɪn.ses wɪl led ə ˈsekənd swɔːrm fɔːr ʃiː noʊz ðæt ɪn ə fjuː deɪz əˈnʌðər ˈprɪn.ses wɪl biː bɔːrn/

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.

courses noun US /ˈkɔːrsəz/

plural of “course” — education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.”

gnaws verb US /nɔːz/

third-person singular of “gnaw” — bite or chew on with the teeth

From this reading “Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.”

hive noun US /haɪv/

a teeming multitude

From this reading “THE OLD HIVE AFTER A SWARM After the old queen has left with the swarm, the bees have to decide what to do about a new queen, and the eldest princess is, as we have already seen, clamouring to be set free from her cell.”

piling noun US /ˈpaɪlɪŋ/

a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure

From this reading “Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.”

queens noun US /kwiːnz/

a borough of New York City

From this reading “She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.”

swarm noun US /swɔːrm/

a moving crowd

swarming verb US /ˈswɔːrmɪŋ/

-ing form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz

From this reading “If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.”

wax verb US /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading “Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

few days adjective + noun

In this reading “If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.”

free from verb + particle

In this reading “THE OLD HIVE AFTER A SWARM After the old queen has left with the swarm, the bees have to decide what to do about a new queen, and the eldest princess is, as we have already seen, clamouring to be set free from her cell.”

at liberty preposition + noun

In this reading “However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.”

got away verb + particle counted as “get away”

run away from confinement

In this reading “She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.”

fight between verb + particle

In this reading “She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.”

All words in this reading · 84

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE OLD HIVE AFTER A SWARM After the old queen has left with the swarm, the bees have to decide what to do about a new queen, and the eldest princess is, as we have already seen, clamouring to be set free from her cell.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

AlthoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beesnounUS /biːz/

plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

cellnounUS /sel/

A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.

clamouringnoun

loud and persistent outcry from many people

coursesnounUS /ˈkɔːrsəz/

plural of “course” — education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

fevernounUS /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

gnawsverbUS /nɔːz/

third-person singular of “gnaw” — bite or chew on with the teeth

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

HIVEnounUS /haɪv/

a teeming multitude

HoweveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

otherwiseadverbUS /ˈʌðərwaɪz/

in other respects or ways

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

pilingnounUS /ˈpaɪlɪŋ/

a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

queensnounUS /kwiːnz/

a borough of New York City

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

SWARMnounUS /swɔːrm/

a moving crowd

swarmingverbUS /ˈswɔːrmɪŋ/

-ing form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

waxverbUS /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading Although she gnaws away at the floor of her cell the bees keep her a prisoner, by piling more wax on the outside of the cell.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If the hive has got what is called the “swarming fever,” the princess will lead a second swarm, for she knows that in a few days another princess will be born.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She is kept thus until the old queen has got away with the swarm, otherwise there would be a terrible fight between the rival queens.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading However, the bees now decide to set the young princess at liberty, and two courses are open to them.

Chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children by Ellison Hawks holds 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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.

What does chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children contain?

Chapter 31 holds 35 sentences of Bees, Shown to the Children, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children by Ellison Hawks exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Bees, Shown to the Children

Common questions about reading Bees, Shown to the Children by Ellison Hawks on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bees, Shown to the Children?

Yes. All 1179 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bees, Shown to the Children is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bees, Shown to the Children take to read?

About 98 minutes of reading across 236 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bees, Shown to the Children section by section

How to work through Bees, Shown to the Children section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 40 chapters of Bees, Shown to the Children to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Bees, Shown to the Children

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bees, Shown to the Children, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Coloured: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bees, Shown to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plates: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bees, Shown to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Percy: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bees, Shown to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Billinghurst: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bees, Shown to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXXI

What does chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children contain?

How do I study chapter 31 of Bees, Shown to the Children?

Can chapter 31 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Bees, Shown to the Children

How to read Bees, Shown to the Children section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Bees, Shown to the Children