Chapter 5 of Five Tales is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Five Tales is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment? And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with. Don't worry about that. Leave it to me. Just get ready to be off'.
Chapter 5 of Five Tales is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
in a gradual manner
From this reading “And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.”
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading “How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?”
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading “How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?”
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading “And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.”
refer for judgment or consideration
From this reading “How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?”
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading “And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.”
showing pensive sadness
From this reading “How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?”
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading “Don't worry about that.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Don't worry about that.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Just get ready to be off'.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't worry about that.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
in a gradual manner
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Just get ready to be off'.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Leave it to me.
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
and nothing more
From this reading Just get ready to be off'.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
go away from a place
From this reading Leave it to me.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Leave it to me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Just get ready to be off'.
many times at short intervals
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Just get ready to be off'.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
refer for judgment or consideration
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
a special situation
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading And he said, almost gently-- “Now, look here, Larry; this is too serious to trifle with.
hard to endure
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
showing pensive sadness
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
in the company of; together with
From this reading How often had he not seen that expression on Larry's face, wistful, questioning, as if trying to see the thing with his--Keith's-eyes, trying to submit to better judgment?
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading Don't worry about that.
Chapter 5 of Five Tales by John Galsworthy holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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.
Chapter 5 holds 234 sentences of Five Tales, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Five Tales by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 5 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 Five Tales by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2684 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2684, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 576 minutes of reading across 1383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Five Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Five 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 Five Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
