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Fantastic Fables
Fantastic Fables

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Fantastic Fables is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Fantastic Fables
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane
The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers
The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .
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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.

Fantastic Fables

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Fantastic Fables is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane
Line 2
The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers
/ðə ˈlaɪən ənd ðə maʊs ðə herz ənd ðə frɑːɡz ðə ˈbeli ənd ðə ˈmembərz ðə ˈpaɪpɪŋ ˈfɪʃərmæn ðə ænts ənd ðə ˈɡræshɑːpər ðə dɔːɡ ənd hɪz rɪˈflekʃən ðə ˈlaɪən ðə ber ənd ðə fɑːks ðə æs ənd ðə ˈlaɪənz skɪn ðə æs ənd ðə ˈɡræshɑːpərz/
Line 3
The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .
Line 4
Line 5

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.

Grasshopper noun US /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading “The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers”

Grasshoppers noun US /ˈɡræshɑːpərz/

plural of “grasshopper” — terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading “The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers”

Hares noun US /herz/

plural of “hare” — swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes

From this reading “The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers”

Lion's noun US /ˈlaɪənz/

possessive form of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading “The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers”

Piping noun US /ˈpaɪpɪŋ/

a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems

From this reading “The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers”

Saws noun US /sɔːz/

plural of “saw” — a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people

From this reading “Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane”

Stork noun US /stɔːrk/

large mostly Old World wading birds typically having white-and-black plumage

From this reading “The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .”

Tortoise noun US /ˈtɔːrtəs/

usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica

From this reading “The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .”

All words in this reading · 58

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 The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

AntsnounUS /ænts/

plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

AssnounUS /æs/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

Beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

BearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

Bellamy

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

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

BellynounUS /ˈbeli/

the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

BirdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

BoysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

BucketnounUS /ˈbʌkət/

a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

CrabnounUS /kræb/

decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

CraneverbUS /kreɪn/

stretch (the neck) so as to see better

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

DognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

FishermannounUS /ˈfɪʃərmæn/

someone whose occupation is catching fish

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

FrogsnounUS /frɑːɡz/

plural of “frog” — any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

GrasshoppernounUS /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

GrasshoppersnounUS /ˈɡræshɑːpərz/

plural of “grasshopper” — terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

HarenounUS /her/

swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

HaresnounUS /herz/

plural of “hare” — swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

InterestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

JupiternounUS /ˈdʒuːpətər/

the largest planet and the 5th from the sun; has many satellites and is one of the brightest objects in the night sky

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

LionnounUS /ˈlaɪən/

large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

Lion'snounUS /ˈlaɪənz/

possessive form of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

LogverbUS /lɔːɡ/

enter into a log, as on ships and planes

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

MaterialadjectiveUS /məˈtɪriəl/

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

MembersnounUS /ˈmembərz/

plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

Milkmaidnoun

a woman who works in a dairy

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

MonkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

MoraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

MountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

MousenounUS /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

NutsadjectiveUS /nʌts/

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

PipingnounUS /ˈpaɪpɪŋ/

a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

PrinciplenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

ReflectionnounUS /rɪˈflekʃən/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

SawsnounUS /sɔːz/

plural of “saw” — a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

SkinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading The Lion and the Mouse The Hares and the Frogs The Belly and the Members The Piping Fisherman The Ants and the Grasshopper The Dog and His Reflection The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox The Ass and the Lion's Skin The Ass and the Grasshoppers

SonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

SonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

StorknounUS /stɔːrk/

large mostly Old World wading birds typically having white-and-black plumage

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

TeethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

TortoisenounUS /ˈtɔːrtəs/

usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

WindnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

WolfnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading Jupiter and the Birds The Lion and the Mouse The Old Man and his Sons The Crab and his Son The North Wind and the Sun The Mountain and the Mouse The Bellamy and the Members Old Saws with New Teeth The Wolf and the Crane

Wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The Wolf and the Lion The Hare and the Tortoise The Milkmaid and Her Bucket King Log and King Stork The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion The Monkey and the Nuts The Boys and the Frogs The Moral Principle and the Material Interest .

Chapter 1 of Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 Fantastic Fables contain?

Chapter 1 holds 168 sentences of Fantastic Fables, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 Fantastic Fables?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 Fantastic Fables

Common questions about reading Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Fantastic Fables?

Yes. All 1467 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #374 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Fantastic Fables is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #374, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Fantastic Fables take to read?

About 122 minutes of reading across 294 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Fantastic Fables section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Fantastic 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 Fantastic Fables

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

Jupiter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fantastic Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fantastic Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mouse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fantastic Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
North
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fantastic Fables; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.