King Spruce, A Novel

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Holman Day • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for King Spruce, A Novel

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE PARADE PAST RODBURD IDE'S PLATFORM "'Twas a hundred wet miles to the handiest rail, And his home it was fifty more; And behind on our bateau's bubblin' trail Raced Death with his muffled oar."

--Ballad of the Drive.

Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

"No, sir!

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXX Reading 1/30

King Spruce, A Novel

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE PARADE PAST RODBURD IDE'S PLATFORM "'Twas a hundred wet miles to the handiest rail, And his home it was fifty more; And behind on our bateau's bubblin' trail Raced Death with his muffled oar."

Line 2

--Ballad of the Drive.

/ˈbæləd ʌv ðə draɪv/

Line 3

Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

Line 4

They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

Line 5

"No, sir!

/noʊ sɜːr/

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.

Ballad noun US /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading “--Ballad of the Drive.”

groans noun US /ɡroʊnz/

plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading “They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.”

handiest adjective US /ˈhændiəst/

superlative of “handy” — easy to reach

From this reading “THE PARADE PAST RODBURD IDE'S PLATFORM "'Twas a hundred wet miles to the handiest rail, And his home it was fifty more; And behind on our bateau's bubblin' trail Raced Death with his muffled oar."”

litter noun US /ˈlɪtər/

the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal

From this reading “Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.”

MacLeod noun US /məˈklaʊd/

Scottish physiologist who directed the research by F. G. Banting and C. H. Best that led to the discovery of insulin (1876-1935)

From this reading “Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.”

oar noun US /ɔːr/

an implement used to propel or steer a boat

prophets noun US /ˈprɑːfəts/

the second of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

From this reading “Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.”

Raced verb US /reɪst/

past form of “race” — move hurridly

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

muffled oar adjective + noun

In this reading “THE PARADE PAST RODBURD IDE'S PLATFORM "'Twas a hundred wet miles to the handiest rail, And his home it was fifty more; And behind on our bateau's bubblin' trail Raced Death with his muffled oar."”

Two days noun + noun

In this reading “Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.”

keep back verb + particle

secure and keep for possible future use or application

In this reading “They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.”

by the sight preposition + article + noun counted as “by … sight”

In this reading “Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 PARADE PAST RODBURD IDE'S PLATFORM "'Twas a hundred wet miles to the handiest rail, And his home it was fifty more; And behind on our bateau's bubblin' trail Raced Death with his muffled oar."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

BalladnounUS /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading --Ballad of the Drive.

bateau's

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

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

BossnounUS /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

bubblin

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

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

cheeredverbUS /tʃɪrd/

past form of “cheer” — give encouragement to

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

Colin

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

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

DeathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

distinctlyadverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋktli/

clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

down-river

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

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

DriveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading --Ballad of the Drive.

fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

groansnounUS /ɡroʊnz/

plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

handiestadjectiveUS /ˈhændiəst/

superlative of “handy” — easy to reach

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

hospitalnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

IDE'S

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

lipnounUS /lɪp/

either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

litternounUS /ˈlɪtər/

the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

ll-git-ye's

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

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

MacLeodnounUS /məˈklaʊd/

Scottish physiologist who directed the research by F. G. Banting and C. H. Best that led to the discovery of insulin (1876-1935)

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/

being or made softer or less loud or clear

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No, sir!

oarnounUS /ɔːr/

an implement used to propel or steer a boat

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading --Ballad of the Drive.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

PARADEnounUS /pərˈeɪd/

a ceremonial procession including people marching

PASTnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

PLATFORMnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

prophetsnounUS /ˈprɑːfəts/

the second of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

RacedverbUS /reɪst/

past form of “race” — move hurridly

railnounUS /reɪl/

a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

RODBURD

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

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "No, sir!

sombreadjective

lacking brightness or color; dull

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

storenounUS /stɔːr/

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were hurrying him to the hospital down-river, and he had his teeth set into his lip to keep back the groans.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

trailnounUS /treɪl/

a track or mark left by something that has passed

Twas

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

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Two days later the "It-'ll-git-ye's," as sombre prophets, were distinctly cheered by the sight of Boss Colin MacLeod borne past Rodburd Ide's store on a litter.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel by Holman Day holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 30 of King Spruce, A Novel contain?

Chapter 30 holds 151 sentences of King Spruce, A Novel, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel by Holman Day exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 30 of King Spruce, A Novel?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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 King Spruce, A Novel

Common questions about reading King Spruce, A Novel by Holman Day on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of King Spruce, A Novel?

Yes. All 7037 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34948 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of King Spruce, A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34948, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does King Spruce, A Novel take to read?

About 586 minutes of reading across 1408 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read King Spruce, A Novel section by section

How to work through King Spruce, A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 31 chapters of King Spruce, A Novel to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in King Spruce, A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in King Spruce, A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Squire: A word that appears in the opening chapter of King Spruce, A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maine: A word that appears in the opening chapter of King Spruce, A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ktaadn: A word that appears in the opening chapter of King Spruce, A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published: A word that appears in the opening chapter of King Spruce, A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXX

What does chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel contain?

How do I study chapter 30 of King Spruce, A Novel?

Can chapter 30 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading King Spruce, A Novel

How to read King Spruce, A Novel section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in King Spruce, A Novel