Chapter 8 of Debits and credits is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Debits and credits is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Ah!” said Anthony with pride. “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’. ’Ever ’eard that song?” “They went a long way back. Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Chapter 8 of Debits and credits is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
From this reading ““Ah!” said Anthony with pride.”
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.”
wingless usually flattened bloodsucking insect parasitic on warm-blooded animals
From this reading “Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.”
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading ““Ah!” said Anthony with pride.”
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.”
a short musical composition with words
From this reading “’Ever ’eard that song?””
travel slowly
From this reading ““They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.”
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading “Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.”
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.
In this reading ““They went a long way back.”
In this reading ““Ah!” said Anthony with pride.”
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 “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah!” said Anthony with pride.
(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 “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
From this reading “Ah!” said Anthony with pride.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “They went a long way back.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ’Ever ’eard that song?”
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
at any time
From this reading ’Ever ’eard that song?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading “They went a long way back.
wingless usually flattened bloodsucking insect parasitic on warm-blooded animals
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading “Ah!” said Anthony with pride.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Ah!” said Anthony with pride.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading ’Ever ’eard that song?”
carry out
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
travel slowly
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ’Ever ’eard that song?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I walked a bit, an’ there was a hospital-train fillin’ up, an’ one of the Sisters--a grey-headed one--ran at me wavin’ ’er red ’ands an’ sayin’ there wasn’t room for a louse in it.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “They went a long way back.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “They went a long way back.
at the time that
From this reading “They all take a taxi when it’s rainin’.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Ah!” said Anthony with pride.
Chapter 8 of Debits and credits by Rudyard Kipling holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 holds 417 sentences of Debits and credits, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Debits and credits by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 8 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 Debits and credits by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6772 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71002 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71002, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 564 minutes of reading across 1355 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Debits and credits section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Debits and credits 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 Debits and credits, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
