Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
In the Fire of the Forge — Complete
In the Fire of the Forge — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In the Fire of the Forge — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.
Yet the Swiss was there.
His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.
At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.
This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.
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.

In the Fire of the Forge — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.
Line 2
Yet the Swiss was there.
/jet ðə swɪs wɑːz ðer/
Line 3
His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.
Line 4
At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.
/æt læst hiː strʌk ðə dɔːr soʊ ˈhevəli wɪð ðə ˈhændəl ʌv hɪz ˈdæɡ.ər ðæt ðə hoʊl haʊs ˈekoʊd wɪð ðə saʊnd/
Line 5
This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

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.

dagger noun US /ˈdæɡ.ər/

A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a stealth weapon.

From this reading “At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.”

downstairs adverb US /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading “His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.”

echoed verb US /ˈekoʊd/

past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate

From this reading “At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.”

handle verb US /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading “At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.”

heavily adverb US /ˈhevəli/

to a considerable degree

From this reading “At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.”

rapped verb US /ræpt/

inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply

From this reading “Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.”

succeeded verb US /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading “This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.”

Swiss noun US /swɪs/

the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland

From this reading “Yet the Swiss was there.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

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

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

armour-bearer

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

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

Biberli's

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

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

daggernounUS /ˈdæɡ.ər/

A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a stealth weapon.

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/

past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/

to a considerable degree

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

rappedverbUS /ræpt/

inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

Seitz

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

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

Siebenburg

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

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

SwissnounUS /swɪs/

the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland

From this reading Yet the Swiss was there.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Yet the Swiss was there.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Yet the Swiss was there.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This succeeded; the door opened, and Biberli's narrow head appeared.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

TwiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading Twice, three times, Siebenburg rapped, but in vain.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Yet the Swiss was there.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading At last he struck the door so heavily with the handle of his dagger that the whole house echoed with the sound.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading His armour-bearer had told Seitz so downstairs, and he heard his voice within.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet the Swiss was there.

Chapter 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete by Georg Ebers holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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.

What does chapter 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete contain?

Chapter 17 holds 231 sentences of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 17 of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 In the Fire of the Forge — Complete

Common questions about reading In the Fire of the Forge — Complete by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete?

Yes. All 5678 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5551 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5551, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In the Fire of the Forge — Complete take to read?

About 473 minutes of reading across 1136 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In the Fire of the Forge — Complete section by section

How to work through In the Fire of the Forge — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete 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 In the Fire of the Forge — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in In the Fire of the Forge — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Medard's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Risen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shining
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brightly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Fire of the Forge — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.