Chapter 1 of Fables for the Times is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Fables for the Times is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Fables for the Times. _By_ H.W. Phillips. _Illustrated by_ T.R. Sullivant. A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion. Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
Chapter 1 of Fables for the Times is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
plural of “fable” — a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading “Fables for the Times.”
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading “A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.”
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading “A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.”
scrape with the paws
From this reading “A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.”
with speed
From this reading “Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.”
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading “Fables for the Times.”
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading “Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _By_ H.W. Phillips.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
plural of “fable” — a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading Fables for the Times.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Fables for the Times.
the act of departing
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading _By_ H.W. Phillips.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading _Illustrated by_ T.R. Sullivant.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
scrape with the paws
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _By_ H.W. Phillips.
with speed
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air
From this reading _Illustrated by_ T.R. Sullivant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Illustrated by_ T.R. Sullivant.
a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading _Illustrated by_ T.R. Sullivant.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Fables for the Times.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Fables for the Times.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading _By_ H.W. Phillips.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A baa-sheep was lying under the paw of a black-maned lion.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading Whatever was going to be done had to be done quickly.
Chapter 1 of Fables for the Times by Henry Wallace Phillips holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 1 holds 177 sentences of Fables for the Times, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Fables for the Times by Henry Wallace Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 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.
Common questions about reading Fables for the Times by Henry Wallace Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 177 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13494 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13494, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 14 minutes of reading across 36 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fables for the Times section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Fables for the Times 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 Fables for the Times, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
