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If I Were King
If I Were King

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of If I Were King is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
UNDER WHICH KING?
The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.
No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.
Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.
Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

If I Were King

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of If I Were King is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
UNDER WHICH KING?
/ˈʌndər wɪtʃ kɪŋ/
Line 2
The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.
Line 3
No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.
Line 4
Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.
/jet ɪn ə fjuː ˈsekəndz ɪt bɪˈkeɪm pleɪn ðæt ðə ɡɑːd pæn wɑːz nɑːt ðə ˈoʊnli ˈɑːkjəpənt ʌv ðə ˈɡɑːrdən/
Line 5
Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

Learner Dictionary

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.

alleyways noun US /ˈæliweɪz/

plural of “alleyway” — a narrow street with walls on both sides

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

cloaked adjective US /kloʊkt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

converging noun US /kənˈvɜːrdʒɪŋ/

the act of converging (coming closer)

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

gabardines noun US /ˈɡæbərdiːnz/

plural of “gabardine” — a firm durable fabric with a twill weave

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

grassy adjective US /ˈɡræsi/

abounding in grass

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

hoods noun US /hʊdz/

plural of “hood” — an aggressive and violent young criminal

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

occupant noun US /ˈɑːkjəpənt/

someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there

From this reading “Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.”

pilgrims noun US /ˈpɪlɡrəmz/

plural of “pilgrim” — someone who journeys in foreign lands

From this reading “Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

alleywaysnounUS /ˈæliweɪz/

plural of “alleyway” — a narrow street with walls on both sides

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

centrenounUS /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

church-yard

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

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

cloakedadjectiveUS /kloʊkt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

cloaks

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

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

cockleshells

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

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

convergingnounUS /kənˈvɜːrdʒɪŋ/

the act of converging (coming closer)

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

cowledadjective

having the head enclosed in a cowl or hood

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/

of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

gabardinesnounUS /ˈɡæbərdiːnz/

plural of “gabardine” — a firm durable fabric with a twill weave

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

girdled

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

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

godnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

grassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡræsi/

abounding in grass

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

hoodsnounUS /hʊdz/

plural of “hood” — an aggressive and violent young criminal

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

humanitynounUS /hjuːˈmænɪti/

the quality of being humane

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

KINGnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading UNDER WHICH KING?

king'snounUS /kɪŋz/

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

mockinglyadverb

in a disrespectful jeering manner

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

occupantnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənt/

someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

PanverbUS /pæn/

make a sweeping movement

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

pilgrimsnounUS /ˈpɪlɡrəmz/

plural of “pilgrim” — someone who journeys in foreign lands

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

resemblingverbUS /rɪˈzembəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/

plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

sleevesnounUS /sliːvz/

plural of “sleeve” — the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

soughingadjective

characterized by soft sounds

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

stealingnounUS /ˈstiːlɪŋ/

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

ThroughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The rose garden seemed to be as quiet as a church-yard.

towernounUS /ˈtaʊər/

a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading UNDER WHICH KING?

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

visibleadjectiveUS /ˈvɪzəbəl/

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

walksnounUS /wɔːks/

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading UNDER WHICH KING?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading No sound was heard save the faint soughing of the evening wind among the rose bushes, no sight resembling humanity visible save the face of Pan looking down mockingly upon the crimson blossoms that girdled him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Through quiet alleyways, cloaked and cowled figures came stealing, six in number--men with pilgrims' cloaks about their shoulders, and pilgrims' hoods upon their heads--men who carried cockleshells upon the sleeves of their gabardines--all converging through the dark walks of the garden to a common centre, and that centre the grassy space before the king's watch tower.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet in a few seconds it became plain that the god Pan was not the only occupant of the garden.

Chapter 10 of If I Were King by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 of If I Were King contain?

Chapter 10 holds 48 sentences of If I Were King, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of If I Were King by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 of If I Were King?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 If I Were King

Common questions about reading If I Were King by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of If I Were King?

Yes. All 3109 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5351 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of If I Were King is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5351, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does If I Were King take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 622 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read If I Were King section by section

How to work through If I Were King section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of If I Were King 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 If I Were King

Words and structures a reader meets early in If I Were King, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fircone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of If I Were King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tavern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of If I Were King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seemed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of If I Were King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Delicacy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of If I Were King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.