Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Herland
Herland

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Herland is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Herland
Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Herland

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Herland is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
Line 2
This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
Line 3
It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
Line 4
This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
Line 5
As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

All words in this reading · 87

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.

a

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

again

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

alive

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

all

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

Amphelopsis

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

and

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

approve

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

As

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

at

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

broken

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

but

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

can't

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

comfortably

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

direct

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

do

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

doubtless

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

down

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

enthusiasm

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

feet

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

for

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

full

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

get

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

hands

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

have

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

here

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

hold

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

I

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

if

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

ignominiously

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

in

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

irregular

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

it

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

It's

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

Jeff

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

ledge

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

like

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

little

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

narrow

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

necks

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

never

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

next

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

not

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

of

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

off

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

on

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

one

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

Our

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

pride

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

quite

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

rash

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

reach

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

rope

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

said

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

see

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

should

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

slanting

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

slide

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

slipped

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

solemnly

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

sort

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

standing

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

stay

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

sticking

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

Terry

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

that

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

the

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

thick-leaved

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

thing

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

think

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

This

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

time

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

to

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

too

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

up

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

Venture

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

vertical

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

vine

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

was

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

We

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

we'll

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

weight

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

were

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

From this reading Our Venture We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.

wide-spreading

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

From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.

wish

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

From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.

with

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

would

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

From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”

you

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

From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.

Chapter 4 of Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman holds 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 4 of Herland contain?

Chapter 4 holds 264 sentences of Herland, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 4 of Herland?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Herland

Common questions about reading Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Herland?

Yes. All 3232 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Herland is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Herland take to read?

About 269 minutes of reading across 647 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Herland section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Herland 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 Herland

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

Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Herland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Memory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Herland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unfortunately
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Herland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Herland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.