Chapter 3 of David's Little Lad is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of David's Little Lad is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted. "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence. Why, wot was mines invented for? Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?" "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
Chapter 3 of David's Little Lad is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
the center of the Earth
From this reading “Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"”
in a serious manner
From this reading “"Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."”
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading “Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"”
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading “Why, wot was mines invented for?”
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading “Why, wot was mines invented for?”
The protective care of God or nature as a spiritual power. (Sự quan phòng, thiên ý phù hộ.)
From this reading “"Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.”
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading “Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"”
dispose or incline or entice to
From this reading “"Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.”
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.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “"Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."”
to come or go into
In this reading “"I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.”
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 "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
the center of the Earth
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
dearly loved
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
in a serious manner
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
the act of departing
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
and nothing more
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
The protective care of God or nature as a spiritual power. (Sự quan phòng, thiên ý phù hộ.)
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
express in words
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
dispose or incline or entice to
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
at the time that
From this reading "I mean to go into a mine when we live at Ffynon," I interrupted.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Hasn't we the surface of the earth, green and pleasant, without going down into its bowels; but there, Gwladys, shall I finish the dream?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, wot was mines invented for?
an affirmative
From this reading "Oh, yes!" very earnestly; "please go on."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Then, my dear, I can only say as you'll tempt Providence.
Chapter 3 of David's Little Lad by L. T. Meade holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
Chapter 3 holds 440 sentences of David's Little Lad, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of David's Little Lad by L. T. Meade exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 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.
Common questions about reading David's Little Lad by L. T. Meade on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3049 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43119 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43119, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 254 minutes of reading across 610 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through David's Little Lad section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of David's Little Lad 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 David's Little Lad, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
