Chapter 9 of Droll Stories — Complete is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Droll Stories — Complete is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen. I hear nothing!’ “‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue. “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter. “‘Did you hear anything?’ asked he.
Chapter 9 of Droll Stories — Complete is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading ““And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.”
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading ““And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.”
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading ““‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.”
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading ““And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading ““‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue.”
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading ““And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.”
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading ““‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.”
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading ““And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
any thing at all
From this reading “‘Did you hear anything?’ asked he.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “‘Did you hear anything?’ asked he.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “‘Did you hear anything?’ asked he.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading I hear nothing!’
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I hear nothing!’
and nothing more
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I hear nothing!’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “‘Ah, I see,’ said the old rogue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
carry out
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “‘True,’ said the shrew-mouse, ‘the door has just fallen.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading “And he made for the pile of corn, from which he commenced to take his store for the winter.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “‘Did you hear anything?’ asked he.
Chapter 9 of Droll Stories — Complete by Honoré de Balzac holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 9 holds 429 sentences of Droll Stories — Complete, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Droll Stories — Complete by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 9 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 Droll Stories — Complete by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5728 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13260 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13260, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 477 minutes of reading across 1146 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Droll Stories — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Droll Stories — Complete 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 Droll Stories — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
