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Falcons of Narabedla
Falcons of Narabedla

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Falcons of Narabedla is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Falcons of Narabedla
Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!
Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.
I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.
"There's your eagle.
Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Falcons of Narabedla

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Falcons of Narabedla is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!
Line 2
Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.
/ˈsʌmwer ɑːn ðə kræɡz əˈbʌv ʌs aɪ hɜːrd ə bɪɡ bɜːrd skriːm/
Line 3
I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.
Line 4
"There's your eagle.
Line 5
Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."
/ˈprɑːbəbliː smelz ðæt ˈkuːɡər aɪ ʃɑːt ˈjestərdeɪ/

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.

cougar noun US /ˈkuːɡər/

large American feline resembling a lion

From this reading “Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."”

crags noun US /kræɡz/

plural of “crag” — a steep rugged rock or cliff

From this reading “Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.”

Dreamer noun US /ˈdriːmər/

someone who is dreaming

From this reading “Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!”

Ellipse noun US /ɪˈlɪps/

a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it

From this reading “Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!”

icy adjective US /ˈaɪsi/

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

From this reading “I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.”

identity noun US /aɪˈdentɪtiː/

the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity

From this reading “Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!”

smells noun US /smelz/

plural of “smell” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading “Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."”

Voltage noun US /ˈvoʊltədʒ/

the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts

From this reading “Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

own identity verb + noun

In this reading “Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!”

All words in this reading · 53

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 Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

Adric

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

Andy

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

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

cougarnounUS /ˈkuːɡər/

large American feline resembling a lion

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

cragsnounUS /kræɡz/

plural of “crag” — a steep rugged rock or cliff

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

DreamernounUS /ˈdriːmər/

someone who is dreaming

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

eaglenounUS /ˈiːɡəl/

any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight

From this reading "There's your eagle.

EllipsenounUS /ɪˈlɪps/

a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

identitynounUS /aɪˈdentɪtiː/

the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

KeepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

Kenscott

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

knee-deepadjective

coming only to the ankle or knee

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

MikenounUS /maɪk/

device for converting sound waves into electrical energy

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

NowherenounUS /ˈnoʊwer/

an insignificant place

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

ProbablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

screamverbUS /skriːm/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

smellsnounUS /smelz/

plural of “smell” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

SomewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

There's

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

From this reading "There's your eagle.

TimenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream beside me.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Somewhere on the crags above us I heard a big bird scream.

VoltagenounUS /ˈvoʊltədʒ/

the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Somewhere on the Time Ellipse Mike Kenscott became Adric; and the only way to return to his own identity was to find the Keep of the Dreamer, and loose the terrible Voltage--from Nowhere!

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading Probably smells that cougar I shot yesterday."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "There's your eagle.

Chapter 1 of Falcons of Narabedla by Marion Zimmer Bradley holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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.

What does chapter 1 of Falcons of Narabedla contain?

Chapter 1 holds 437 sentences of Falcons of Narabedla, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Falcons of Narabedla by Marion Zimmer Bradley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Falcons of Narabedla?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 Falcons of Narabedla

Common questions about reading Falcons of Narabedla by Marion Zimmer Bradley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Falcons of Narabedla?

Yes. All 2172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50566 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Falcons of Narabedla is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50566, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Falcons of Narabedla take to read?

About 181 minutes of reading across 435 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Falcons of Narabedla section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of Falcons of Narabedla 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 Falcons of Narabedla

Words and structures a reader meets early in Falcons of Narabedla, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Somewhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Falcons of Narabedla; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ellipse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Falcons of Narabedla; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kenscott
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Falcons of Narabedla; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Became
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Falcons of Narabedla; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.