Chapter 4 of Freaks on the Fells is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Freaks on the Fells is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about. It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road! For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers. Presently a ray of light dazzled them. "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
Chapter 4 of Freaks on the Fells is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
overtaken by night or darkness
From this reading “For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.”
a small house with a single story
From this reading “"What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.”
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading “Presently a ray of light dazzled them.”
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading “"What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.”
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading “For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.”
acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence
From this reading “"Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.”
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading “Presently a ray of light dazzled them.”
plural of “wanderer” — someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading “For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.”
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 "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
overtaken by night or darkness
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
a small house with a single story
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading Presently a ray of light dazzled them.
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Here's a gate, I believe," cried George, groping about.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Presently a ray of light dazzled them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
in the near future
From this reading Presently a ray of light dazzled them.
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading Presently a ray of light dazzled them.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Presently a ray of light dazzled them.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
plural of “wanderer” — someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading For the first time for many hours a gleam of hope burst in upon the benighted wanderers.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It _was_ a gate, and it opened upon the road!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What! do my eyes deceive me--a cottage?" cried Mr Sudberry.
Chapter 4 of Freaks on the Fells by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 413 sentences of Freaks on the Fells, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Freaks on the Fells by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 4 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 Freaks on the Fells by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3866 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 322 minutes of reading across 774 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Freaks on the Fells section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Freaks on the Fells 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 Freaks on the Fells, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
