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Donal Grant

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Donal Grant is here in full — 304 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George MacDonald • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Donal Grant

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

FOOT-FARING.

It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

Narrator

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/60

Donal Grant

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Donal Grant is here in full — 304 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

FOOT-FARING.

Line 2

It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

Line 3

Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

Line 4

But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

Line 5

He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

All words in this reading · 58

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.

a

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

about

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

again

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

and

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

any

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

as

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

before

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

below

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

boy

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

But

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

descending

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

distance

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

Donal

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

down

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

every

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

feeling

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

first

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

FOOT-FARING

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

From this reading FOOT-FARING.

from

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

go

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

gone

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

Grant

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

had

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

half-mile

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

he

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

hill

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

hillside

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

his

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

in

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

inviting

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

It

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

knew

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

lovely

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

morning

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

negatively

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

never

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

new

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

not

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

of

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

on

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

only

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

pastures

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

path

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

school

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

sheep-track

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

summer

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

that

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

the

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

to

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

up

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

valley

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

very

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

was

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

From this reading It was a lovely morning in the first of summer.

way

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

From this reading He was on his way to pastures very new, and in the distance only negatively inviting.

well

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

which

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

winding

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

From this reading Donal Grant was descending a path on a hillside to the valley below--a sheep-track of which he knew every winding as well as any boy his half-mile to and from school.

with

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

From this reading But he had never before gone down the hill with the feeling that he was not about to go up again.

Chapter 1 of Donal Grant by George MacDonald holds 304 sentences, grouped into 61 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Donal Grant contain?

Chapter 1 holds 304 sentences of Donal Grant, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Donal Grant by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 304 sentences, grouped into 61 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 Donal Grant?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 Donal Grant

Common questions about reading Donal Grant by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Donal Grant?

Yes. All 9850 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2433 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Donal Grant is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2433, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Donal Grant take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1970 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Donal Grant section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 40 chapters of Donal Grant to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Donal Grant

Words and structures a reader meets early in Donal Grant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Foot-faring: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Donal Grant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lovely: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Donal Grant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Donal Grant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Donal Grant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.