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Fables
Fables

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Fables is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Louis Stevenson • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 1 of Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Fables contain?

Chapter 1 holds 198 sentences of Fables, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Fables?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 Fables

Common questions about reading Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Fables?

Yes. All 819 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #343 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Fables is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #343, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Fables take to read?

About 68 minutes of reading across 164 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Fables section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Fables 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 Fables

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

Persons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Treasure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Island
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for Fables
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.
After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.
"Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.
"Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.
"You're in a bad way, Silver."
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Fables

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Fables is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.
Line 2
After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.
Line 3
"Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.
Line 4
"Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.
Line 5
"You're in a bad way, Silver."

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.

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.”

Velmora curated lexicon
All words in this reading · 50

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

32nd

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
a

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
After

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
again

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Ah

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

From this reading "Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.

Pending verification
an

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
and

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
bad

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

From this reading "You're in a bad way, Silver."

Pending verification
beaming

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
before

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
begin

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
business

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Cap'n

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
chapter

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
countenance

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
far

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
first

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
from

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Good-morning

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
grunted

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

From this reading "Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.

Pending verification
have

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
I

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

From this reading I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.

Pending verification
in

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Island

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
man-o

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
met

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
not

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
OF

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

From this reading I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.

Pending verification
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Velmora curated lexicon
other

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

From this reading "Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.

Pending verification
out

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
PERSONS

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

From this reading I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.

Pending verification
pipe

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
place

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
puppets

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
said

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
salute

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
should

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Silver

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

From this reading "Ah, Silver!" grunted the other.

Pending verification
story

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
strolled

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
TALE

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

From this reading I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.

Pending verification
THE

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

From this reading I.--THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.

Pending verification
to

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
Treasure

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
two

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

From this reading After the 32nd chapter of _Treasure Island_, two of the puppets strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met in an open place not far from the story.

Pending verification
war

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
way

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

From this reading "You're in a bad way, Silver."

Pending verification
with

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

From this reading "Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a beaming countenance.

Pending verification
You're

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

From this reading "You're in a bad way, Silver."

Pending verification