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Christmas Stories And Legends
Christmas Stories And Legends

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Christmas Stories And Legends
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.
It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.
Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Christmas Stories And Legends

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
Line 2
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
Line 3
No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.
/noʊ ˈɡreɪtər ˈtiːtʃɪŋ fɔːrs hæz ˈevər bɪn dɪˈskʌvərd ðæn ðə ˈstɔːri ənd noʊ wʌn hæz ˈevər lɪvd huː juːzd ðæt fɔːrs soʊ ˈskɪlfəli æz dɪd ˈaʊər ɡreɪt ˈtiːtʃər/
Line 4
It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.
/ɪt ɪz nɑːt streɪndʒ ðen ðæt əˈmʌŋ ɔːl ðə ˈstɔːriz ðæt hæv ˈevər bɪn ˈrɪtən ɔːr toʊld nʌn ɑːr soʊ dɪr tuː ʌs æz ðə ˈstɔːriz ənd ˈledʒəndz wɪtʃ ˈsɛn.tər ɪn hɪz bɜːrθ/
Line 5
Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.
/jʌŋ ənd oʊld əˈlaɪk dɪˈlaɪt ɪn ðem ənd ˈnevər ˈtaɪər ʌv ˈhiːrɪŋ ðem/

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.

center noun US /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading “It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.”

indianapolis noun US /ˌɪndiəˈnæpəlɪs/

the capital and largest city of Indiana; a major commercial center in the country's heartland; site of an annual 500-mile automobile race

From this reading “INDIANAPOLIS, IND.”

legends noun US /ˈledʒəndz/

plural of “legend” — a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading “It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.”

publishing noun US /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading “Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.”

skillfully adverb US /ˈskɪlfəli/

with skill

From this reading “No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.”

Teacher noun US /ˈtiːtʃər/

a person whose occupation is teaching

From this reading “No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.”

teaching noun US /ˈtiːtʃɪŋ/

the profession of a teacher

From this reading “No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.”

tire verb US /ˈtaɪər/

lose interest or become bored with something or somebody

From this reading “Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

birthnounUS /bɜːrθ/

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

GiftsnounUS /ɡɪfts/

plural of “gift” — something acquired without compensation

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

IND

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

From this reading INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

INDIANAPOLISnounUS /ˌɪndiəˈnæpəlɪs/

the capital and largest city of Indiana; a major commercial center in the country's heartland; site of an annual 500-mile automobile race

From this reading INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

legendsnounUS /ˈledʒəndz/

plural of “legend” — a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

MEIGS

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

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

PUBLISHINGnounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

skillfullyadverbUS /ˈskɪlfəli/

with skill

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

TeachernounUS /ˈtiːtʃər/

a person whose occupation is teaching

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

teachingnounUS /ˈtiːtʃɪŋ/

the profession of a teacher

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

tireverbUS /ˈtaɪər/

lose interest or become bored with something or somebody

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Author of "White Gifts for the King" MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.

YoungadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.

Chapter 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends by Phebe A. [Compiler] Curtiss holds 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends contain?

Chapter 1 holds 397 sentences of Christmas Stories And Legends, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends by Phebe A. [Compiler] Curtiss exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 1 of Christmas Stories And Legends?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Christmas Stories And Legends

Common questions about reading Christmas Stories And Legends by Phebe A. [Compiler] Curtiss on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Christmas Stories And Legends?

Yes. All 1989 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17770 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Christmas Stories And Legends is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17770, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Christmas Stories And Legends take to read?

About 165 minutes of reading across 398 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Christmas Stories And Legends section by section

How to work through Christmas Stories And Legends section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of Christmas Stories And Legends 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 Christmas Stories And Legends

Words and structures a reader meets early in Christmas Stories And Legends, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Stories And Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
White
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Stories And Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gifts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Stories And Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Meigs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Stories And Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.