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Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies
Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies
Context Illustration Reading 1/92 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.
'You miserable young jackass, listen and l'arn.
We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.
You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.
I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.
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.

Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.
/juː ˈmɪzərəbəl jʌŋ ˈdʒækæs sed ðə ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəl ənd dʒʌst dʒʌdʒ/
Line 2
'You miserable young jackass, listen and l'arn.
Line 3
We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.
Line 4
You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.
Line 5
I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

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.

bin noun US /bɪn/

a container; usually has a lid

From this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

hoofed adjective US /hʊft/

having or resembling hoofs

From this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

impartial adjective US /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəl/

showing lack of favoritism

From this reading “'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.”

jackass noun US /ˈdʒækæs/

a man who is a stupid incompetent fool

From this reading “'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.”

juicy adjective US /ˈdʒuːsi/

full of juice

From this reading “I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.”

ribs noun US /rɪbz/

plural of “rib” — support resembling the rib of an animal

From this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

Seth noun US /seθ/

(Old Testament) third son of Adam and Eve; given by God in place of the murdered Abel

From this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

Wilkins noun US /ˈwɪlkɪnz/

United States civil rights leader (1901-1981)

From this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

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.

on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading “You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

BennounUS /ben/

a mountain or tall hill

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

binnounUS /bɪn/

a container; usually has a lid

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

GravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/

English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

hanounUS /hɑː/

(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

hadn't

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

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

hez

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

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

hoofedadjectiveUS /hʊft/

having or resembling hoofs

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

I've

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

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

ignorantadjectiveUS /ˈɪɡnərənt/

uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

impartialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəl/

showing lack of favoritism

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

jackassnounUS /ˈdʒækæs/

a man who is a stupid incompetent fool

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

juicyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːsi/

full of juice

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

kickverbUS /kɪk/

drive or propel with the foot

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

kickedverbUS /kɪkt/

past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

l'arn

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

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass, listen and l'arn.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass, listen and l'arn.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

miserableadjectiveUS /ˈmɪzərəbəl/

very unhappy; full of misery

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

overboardadverbUS /ˈoʊvərbɔːrd/

to extremes

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

packetnounUS /ˈpækət/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

ribsnounUS /rɪbz/

plural of “rib” — support resembling the rib of an animal

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

SethnounUS /seθ/

(Old Testament) third son of Adam and Eve; given by God in place of the murdered Abel

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

sparedverbUS /sperd/

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

We've

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

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

WilkinsnounUS /ˈwɪlkɪnz/

United States civil rights leader (1901-1981)

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

you'd

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

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

you're

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

From this reading I wonder if you understand, my son, that you're no one, that you're ignorant, that you're as green and juicy as grass in rain.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading 'You miserable young jackass,' said the impartial and just judge.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading We've been good to you, I've been good to you, and by my orders your life hez been spared.

yourn

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

From this reading You kicked Seth Graves, you hoofed Ben Wilkins in the ribs, you threatened to kick me, and if it hadn't bin for a friend of yourn on board this packet you'd ha' bin shot and thrown overboard.

Chapter 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies by Morley Roberts holds 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies contain?

Chapter 3 holds 461 sentences of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies by Morley Roberts exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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 3 of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies?

Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 93 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies

Common questions about reading Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies by Morley Roberts on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies?

Yes. All 2763 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68920 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68920, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies take to read?

About 230 minutes of reading across 553 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies section by section

How to work through Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies

Words and structures a reader meets early in Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Promotion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Admiral
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edinburgh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Captain Balaam of the 'Cormorant', and other sea comedies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.