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D'Ri and I
D'Ri and I

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of D'Ri and I is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for D'Ri and I
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.
To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.
Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.
They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.
If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"
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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.

D'Ri and I

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of D'Ri and I is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.
/ðeɪ wɪl ˈnevər stɪŋ ʃiː wʊd seɪ ɪf wʌn dʌz nɑːt dɪˈkler ðə wɔːr/
Line 2
To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.
/tuː straɪk tuː meɪk ˈeni kwɪk ˈmoʊʃən ɪt ɡɪvz ðem ˈæŋɡər/
Line 3
Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.
Line 4
They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.
/ðeɪ kɑːz juː tuː bɜːrn tuː eɪk tuː meɪk ə ɡreɪt nɔɪz ənd ˈiːvɪn tuː laɪ daʊn əˈpɑːn ðə ɡraʊnd/
Line 5
If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"
/ɪf ˈpiːpəl kʌm tuː siː miː ɪf aɪ ɡet ə nuː ˈsɜːrvənt aɪ seɪ meɪk tuː ðem noʊ əˈtenʃən ənd ðeɪ wɪl nɑːt hɑːrm juː/

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.

ache verb US /eɪk/

feel physical pain

From this reading “They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.”

burn verb US /bɜːrn/

To consume or be consumed by fire.

From this reading “They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.”

declare verb US /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading “"They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.”

harm noun US /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading “If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"”

mon noun US /moʊn/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading “Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.”

motion noun US /ˈmoʊʃən/

the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading “To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.”

sting verb US /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

From this reading “"They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.”

strike verb US /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading “To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

acheverbUS /eɪk/

feel physical pain

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

ami

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

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

burnverbUS /bɜːrn/

To consume or be consumed by fire.

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

cher

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

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

monnounUS /moʊn/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/

the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

noisenounUS /nɔɪz/

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading If people come to see me, if I get a new servant, I say: 'Make to them no attention, and they will not harm you.'"

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

stingverbUS /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, mon cher ami! it is terrible.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To strike, to make any quick motion, it gives them anger.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "They will never sting," she would say, "if one does not declare the war.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading They cause you to burn, to ache, to make a great noise, and even to lie down upon the ground.

Chapter 4 of D'Ri and I by Irving Bacheller holds 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 4 of D'Ri and I contain?

Chapter 4 holds 432 sentences of D'Ri and I, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of D'Ri and I by Irving Bacheller exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 4 of D'Ri and I?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 D'Ri and I

Common questions about reading D'Ri and I by Irving Bacheller on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of D'Ri and I?

Yes. All 4733 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12440 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of D'Ri and I is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12440, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does D'Ri and I take to read?

About 394 minutes of reading across 947 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read D'Ri and I section by section

How to work through D'Ri and I section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of D'Ri and I 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 D'Ri and I

Words and structures a reader meets early in D'Ri and I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Daring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of D'Ri and I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deeds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of D'Ri and I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Second
A word that appears in the opening chapter of D'Ri and I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
British
A word that appears in the opening chapter of D'Ri and I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.