Chapter 17 of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate. Opening the door he called out: "Who's dar?" "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry. "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
Chapter 17 of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading “"H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.”
any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading “"Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.”
plural of “calamity” — an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading “"H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.”
a dark grey cloud bearing rain
From this reading “TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.”
coming after or following
From this reading “TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.”
enameled or lacquered metalware (usually gilded and elaborately painted); popular in the 18th century
From this reading “"H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.”
plural of “trap” — a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading “"H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.”
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading “"Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.”
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 TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
aroused or activated
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
plural of “calamity” — an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Opening the door he called out:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Who's dar?"
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Opening the door he called out:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Opening the door he called out:
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
a dark grey cloud bearing rain
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
no person; not anyone
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading Opening the door he called out:
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Opening the door he called out:
the time that has elapsed
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
coming after or following
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
enameled or lacquered metalware (usually gilded and elaborately painted); popular in the 18th century
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
plural of “trap” — a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Nobody but jes we uns, Bre'er Nimbus," replied the unmistakable voice of Berry.
at the time that
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Who's dar?"
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading TAKEN AT HIS WORD It was past midnight of the day succeeding the meeting, when Nimbus was awakened by a call at his front gate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H'yer we is, bag an' baggage, traps an' calamities, jest ez I tole yer.
Chapter 17 of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel by Albion Winegar Tourgée holds 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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.
Chapter 17 holds 246 sentences of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel by Albion Winegar Tourgée exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 17 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.
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Yes. All 7705 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6058 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6058, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1541 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bricks Without Straw: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Bricks Without Straw: A Novel 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 Bricks Without Straw: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
