Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Brigadier Frederick
Brigadier Frederick

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Brigadier Frederick is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Brigadier Frederick
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.
She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.
"You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.
"Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."
"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Brigadier Frederick

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Brigadier Frederick is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.
Line 2
She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.
/ʃiː hæd siːn miː ɪn ðə ˈdɪstəns ənd kənˈtɪnjuːd hɜːr wɜːrk wɪˈθaʊt ˈreɪzɪŋ hɜːr aɪz/
Line 3
"You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.
Line 4
"Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."
Line 5
"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.
/jes ɪt ɪz aɪ aɪ rɪˈplaɪd ˈhæŋɪŋ maɪ bæɡ əˈɡenst ðə wɔːl aɪ hæv kʌm frʌm ðə ˌɪnˈspektərz/

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.

bag noun US /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading “"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.”

dough noun US /doʊ/

a flour mixture stiff enough to knead or roll

From this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

hanging noun US /ˈhæŋɪŋ/

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading “"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.”

inspector's noun US /ˌɪnˈspektərz/

possessive form of “inspector” — a high ranking police officer

kneading verb US /ˈniːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “knead” — make uniform

From this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

noodles noun US /ˈnuːdəlz/

plural of “noodle” — a ribbonlike strip of pasta

From this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

raising noun US /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading “She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.”

rolling adjective US /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

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.

against the wall preposition + article + noun counted as “against … wall”

In this reading “"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.”

bare arms adjective + noun

In this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

without raising preposition + noun

In this reading “She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.”

went up verb + adjective counted as “go up”

move upward

In this reading “*VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.”

come from verb + particle

In this reading “"Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.”

in the distance preposition + article + noun counted as “in … distance”

In this reading “She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

Ah

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

doughnounUS /doʊ/

a flour mixture stiff enough to knead or roll

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

hangingnounUS /ˈhæŋɪŋ/

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading "You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

inspector'snounUS /ˌɪnˈspektərz/

possessive form of “inspector” — a high ranking police officer

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

kneadingverbUS /ˈniːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “knead” — make uniform

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

Marie-Rose

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

noodlesnounUS /ˈnuːdəlz/

plural of “noodle” — a ribbonlike strip of pasta

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

raisingnounUS /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading "You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

rollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

rolling-pin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Ah! it is you, father," said she; "I am making noodles."

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

VIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading *VII* I went up the stairs and I saw Marie-Rose in the lower room, with bare arms; she was kneading dough and rolling it out flat, with the rolling-pin, on our large table, to make noodles.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading She had seen me in the distance and continued her work without raising her eyes.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading "You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, it is I," I replied, hanging my bag against the wall; "I have come from the inspector’s.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You are working hard, Marie-Rose," I remarked to her.

Chapter 2 of Brigadier Frederick by Erckmann-Chatrian holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 2 of Brigadier Frederick contain?

Chapter 2 holds 429 sentences of Brigadier Frederick, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Brigadier Frederick by Erckmann-Chatrian exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 2 of Brigadier Frederick?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Brigadier Frederick

Common questions about reading Brigadier Frederick by Erckmann-Chatrian on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Brigadier Frederick?

Yes. All 2983 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50186 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Brigadier Frederick is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50186, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Brigadier Frederick take to read?

About 248 minutes of reading across 597 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Brigadier Frederick section by section

How to work through Brigadier Frederick section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Brigadier Frederick to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Brigadier Frederick

Words and structures a reader meets early in Brigadier Frederick, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fashions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brigadier Frederick; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Change
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brigadier Frederick; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Literature
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brigadier Frederick; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brigadier Frederick; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.