Chapter 1 of Bijou is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Bijou is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_TRANSLATED_ BY ALYS HALLARD. BIJOU. MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people. She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye. "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
Chapter 1 of Bijou is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “"Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?”
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
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.
people without possessions or wealth (considered as a group)
In this reading “MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.”
be oriented in a certain direction
In this reading “She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.”
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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _TRANSLATED_ BY ALYS HALLARD.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
a small and delicately worked piece
From this reading BIJOU.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _TRANSLATED_ BY ALYS HALLARD.
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
a son of your niece or nephew
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _TRANSLATED_ BY ALYS HALLARD.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
held up in the air
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading _TRANSLATED_ BY ALYS HALLARD.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading She poked her thick, light, tortoise-shell crochet-needle into the ball of coarse wool, and putting that down on her lap, lifted her head and looked across at her great-nephew, Jean de Blaye.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading MADAME DE BRACIEUX was working for her poor people.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Jean," she said, "what are you gazing at that is so interesting?
Chapter 1 of Bijou by Gyp holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 438 sentences of Bijou, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Bijou by Gyp exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Bijou by Gyp on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4078 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36199 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36199, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 339 minutes of reading across 816 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bijou section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Bijou 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 Bijou, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
