Chapter 2 of Fanciful tales is here in full — 516 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Fanciful tales is here in full — 516 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied. Suppose you catch a lot for me.” “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp. “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.” “That is a flower,” said the Languid Youth.
Chapter 2 of Fanciful tales is here in full — 516 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/103 · 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.
any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading ““Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.”
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading ““We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.””
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading ““Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.”
a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading ““That is a flower,” said the Languid Youth.”
(folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
From this reading ““The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.”
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading ““Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.”
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading ““Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.”
very large in expanse or scope
From this reading ““We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.””
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.
In this reading ““Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.”
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 “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading “That is a flower,” said the Languid Youth.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Suppose you catch a lot for me.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
(folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
From this reading “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Suppose you catch a lot for me.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Suppose you catch a lot for me.”
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
filled with satisfaction
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
very large in expanse or scope
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.
express a supposition
From this reading Suppose you catch a lot for me.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That is a flower,” said the Languid Youth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
precisely as stated
From this reading “The subject is changed,” said the Very Imp.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We are now about to visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Suppose you catch a lot for me.”
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading “Yes,” said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, “but if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied.
Chapter 2 of Fanciful tales by Frank R. Stockton holds 516 sentences, grouped into 104 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 2 holds 516 sentences of Fanciful tales, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Fanciful tales by Frank R. Stockton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 516 sentences, grouped into 104 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 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 104 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 2 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 Fanciful tales by Frank R. Stockton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1528 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71032 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71032, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 127 minutes of reading across 306 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fanciful tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Fanciful tales 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 Fanciful tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
