Chapter 23 of Five Tales is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Five Tales is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Don't be a stoat! Come back!” His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table. On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star. Sabina said: “That's you.
Chapter 23 of Five Tales is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
being in captivity
From this reading “His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.”
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.”
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading “On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.”
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 “Don't be a stoat!
in addition
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Come back!”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Don't be a stoat!
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come back!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don't be a stoat!
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
being in captivity
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Sabina said: “That's you.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
the ermine in its brown summer coat with black-tipped tail
From this reading “Don't be a stoat!
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sabina said: “That's you.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
in the direction of
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His arms were seized; imprisoned between the little girls he was brought back to the table.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On it lay a piece of paper with an effigy drawn in blood, and the three names Stella Halliday, Sabina Halliday, Freda Halliday--also in blood, running towards it like the rays of a star.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Sabina said: “That's you.
Chapter 23 of Five Tales by John Galsworthy holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 23 holds 209 sentences of Five Tales, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Five Tales by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 23 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.
