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Don Rodriguez
Don Rodriguez

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Don Rodriguez is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Don Rodriguez
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.
And may he not overtake my soul at the last.
Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.
You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.
I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."
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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.

Don Rodriguez

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Don Rodriguez is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.
Line 2
And may he not overtake my soul at the last.
/ənd meɪ hiː nɑːt ˈoʊvərteɪk maɪ soʊl æt ðə læst/
Line 3
Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.
/jet ɪt ɪz bæd fɔːr ˈaʊər ˈfɔːrtʃənz ðæt ðiːz men ʃʊd ˈlɔɪtər ðʌs/
Line 4
You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.
Line 5
I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."
/aɪ lʊk fɔːr ə hiːp ʌv strɔː ɪn ðə ˈselər ʌv jɔːr ɡreɪt ˈkæsəl/

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.

cellar noun US /ˈselər/

the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage

From this reading “I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."”

curl verb US /kɜːrl/

form a curl, curve, or kink

From this reading “You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.”

fortunes noun US /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading “Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.”

loiter verb US /ˈlɔɪtər/

be about

From this reading “Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.”

overtake verb US /ˈoʊvərteɪk/

catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading “And may he not overtake my soul at the last.”

roads noun US /roʊdz/

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading “You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.”

straw noun US /strɔː/

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading “I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."”

wander verb US /ˈwɑːndər/

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading “You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

cellarnounUS /ˈselər/

the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

curlverbUS /kɜːrl/

form a curl, curve, or kink

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

Garda

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

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

heapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

loiterverbUS /ˈlɔɪtər/

be about

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

MasternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

Morano

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

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

overtakeverbUS /ˈoʊvərteɪk/

catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

roadsnounUS /roʊdz/

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

strawnounUS /strɔː/

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading I look for a heap of straw in the cellar of your great castle."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And may he not overtake my soul at the last.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

wanderverbUS /ˈwɑːndər/

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Master," answered Morano, "I know well who made hurry.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet it is bad for our fortunes that these men should loiter thus.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You want your castle, master; and I, I want not always to wander roads, with la Garda perhaps behind and no certain place to curl up and sleep in front.

Chapter 2 of Don Rodriguez by Lord Dunsany holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Don Rodriguez contain?

Chapter 2 holds 449 sentences of Don Rodriguez, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Don Rodriguez by Lord Dunsany exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Don Rodriguez?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 Don Rodriguez

Common questions about reading Don Rodriguez by Lord Dunsany on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Don Rodriguez?

Yes. All 3060 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4282 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Don Rodriguez is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4282, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Don Rodriguez take to read?

About 255 minutes of reading across 612 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Don Rodriguez section by section

How to work through Don Rodriguez section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Don Rodriguez 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 Don Rodriguez

Words and structures a reader meets early in Don Rodriguez, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Patient
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Don Rodriguez; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Research
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Don Rodriguez; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Still
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Don Rodriguez; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Don Rodriguez; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.