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Celtic Tales, Told to the Children
Celtic Tales, Told to the Children

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children is here in full — 534 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Celtic Tales, Told to the Children
Context Illustration Reading 1/106 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.
Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.
'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'
And Eva stood by the King.
Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.
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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.

Celtic Tales, Told to the Children

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children is here in full — 534 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/106 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.
Line 2
Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.
Line 3
'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'
Line 4
And Eva stood by the King.
Line 5
Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.

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.

bid verb US /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading “Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.”

hither adverb US /ˈhɪðər/

an old word meaning “to this place”

From this reading “'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'”

rang verb US /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading “Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.”

Speedily adverb US /ˈspiːdəli/

with speed

From this reading “Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.”

Stern adjective US /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading “Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.”

Swiftly adverb US /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading “Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.”

tremble verb US /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading “Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.”

wherefore adverb US /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading “'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

Bove

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

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

Derg

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

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

Eva

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

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

farewellnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

hastenounUS /heɪst/

overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

hitheradverbUS /ˈhɪðər/

an old word meaning “to this place”

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading And Eva stood by the King.

LakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

Lirnoun

the sea personified; father of Manannan; corresponds to Welsh Llyr

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

seekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

SpeedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/

with speed

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

SternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading And Eva stood by the King.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

SwiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him.

whereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading 'Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?'

Chapter 2 of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children by Louey Chisholm holds 534 sentences, grouped into 107 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 Celtic Tales, Told to the Children contain?

Chapter 2 holds 534 sentences of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children, unabridged, divided into 107 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children by Louey Chisholm exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 534 sentences, grouped into 107 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 Celtic Tales, Told to the Children?

Work through the 107 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 107 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 Celtic Tales, Told to the Children

Common questions about reading Celtic Tales, Told to the Children by Louey Chisholm on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children?

Yes. All 1048 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7488 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7488, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Celtic Tales, Told to the Children take to read?

About 87 minutes of reading across 210 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Celtic Tales, Told to the Children section by section

How to work through Celtic Tales, Told to the Children section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children 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 Celtic Tales, Told to the Children

Words and structures a reader meets early in Celtic Tales, Told to the Children, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Several
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Variants
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Celtic Tales, Told to the Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.