Chapter 39 of Hills of the Shatemuc is here in full — 299 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of Hills of the Shatemuc is here in full — 299 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled? Or looked the earth more green upon the world? Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled? When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime? BEN JONSON.
Chapter 39 of Hills of the Shatemuc is here in full — 299 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/59 · 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.
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
From this reading “When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?”
a baby bed with sides and rockers
From this reading “Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?”
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading “When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?”
English dramatist and poet who was the first real poet laureate of England (1572-1637)
From this reading “BEN JONSON.”
possessive form of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading “Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?”
first in rank or degree
From this reading “When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?”
in a strange but not unpleasant manner
From this reading “When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?”
possessive form of “sherwood” — United States playwright (1896-1955)
From this reading “When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?”
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 mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN JONSON.
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
a baby bed with sides and rockers
From this reading Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
English dramatist and poet who was the first real poet laureate of England (1572-1637)
From this reading BEN JONSON.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
possessive form of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
first in rank or degree
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Or nature's cradle more enchased and purled?
in a strange but not unpleasant manner
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
possessive form of “sherwood” — United States playwright (1896-1955)
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
at the time that
From this reading When was old Sherwood's head more quaintly curled?
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading When did the air so smile, the wind so chime, As quiristers of season, and the prime?
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Or looked the earth more green upon the world?
Chapter 39 of Hills of the Shatemuc by Susan Warner holds 299 sentences, grouped into 60 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 39 holds 299 sentences of Hills of the Shatemuc, unabridged, divided into 60 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of Hills of the Shatemuc by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 299 sentences, grouped into 60 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 60 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 60 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 39 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 Hills of the Shatemuc by Susan Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13936 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16918 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16918, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2788 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hills of the Shatemuc section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Hills of the Shatemuc 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 Hills of the Shatemuc, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
