Chapter 17 of Jimbo: A Fantasy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Jimbo: A Fantasy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OFF! With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer. He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing. The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded. Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
Chapter 17 of Jimbo: A Fantasy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.
From this reading “The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.”
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading “With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.”
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading “The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.”
plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear
From this reading “With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.”
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
confined on all sides
From this reading “The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.”
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.”
In this reading “With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.”
In this reading “He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.”
In this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
remove by pulling or ripping violently and forcefully
In this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
In this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
In this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
In this reading “Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
in actual fact
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.
From this reading The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
divisible by two
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
at any time
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
engage in
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading OFF!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
confined on all sides
From this reading The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He felt sure of this, though he could actually see nothing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The house was surrounded, the courtyard crowded.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading Outside, on the stairs, in the other rooms, even on the roof itself, waited dreadful things ready to catch him, to tear off his wings, to make him prisoner for ever and ever.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the full darkness a whole army of horrors crept nearer.
Chapter 17 of Jimbo: A Fantasy by Algernon Blackwood holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 17 holds 114 sentences of Jimbo: A Fantasy, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Jimbo: A Fantasy by Algernon Blackwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 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.
Common questions about reading Jimbo: A Fantasy by Algernon Blackwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2505 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30974 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30974, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 208 minutes of reading across 501 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jimbo: A Fantasy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Jimbo: A Fantasy 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 Jimbo: A Fantasy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
