Liliecrona's home

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Selma Lagerlöf • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Liliecrona's home

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.

Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

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 III Reading 1/22

Liliecrona's home

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

Line 2

It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

Line 3

Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.

/ˈoʊnli ðə oʊld ˈhaʊskiːpər wɑːz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɑːn ə tʃer/

Line 4

Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

Line 5

Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

/bɪˈfɔːr hɜːr leɪ ə ɡreɪt ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd wɪð klɪrd pæðz bɪˈtwiːn haɪ bæŋks ʌv snoʊ/

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.

courtyard noun US /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading “Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.”

housekeeper noun US /ˈhaʊskiːpər/

a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household

From this reading “Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.”

maids noun US /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading “THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.”

mending noun US /ˈmendɪŋ/

garments that must be repaired

From this reading “THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.”

needle noun US /ˈniːdəl/

the leaf of a conifer

From this reading “THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.”

perched verb US /pɜːrtʃt/

past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch

From this reading “It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.”

sewing noun US /ˈsoʊɪŋ/

joining or attaching by stitches

From this reading “It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.”

tailors noun US /ˈteɪlərz/

plural of “tailor” — a person whose occupation is making and altering garments

From this reading “It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.”

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.

old housekeeper adjective + noun

In this reading “Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.”

high banks adjective + noun

In this reading “Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.”

on the table preposition + article + noun counted as “on … table”

able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise

In this reading “THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.”

high seat adjective + noun

In this reading “It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.”

old clothes adjective + noun

In this reading “THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.”

at the window preposition + article + noun counted as “at … window”

In this reading “Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.”

on a chair preposition + article + noun counted as “on … chair”

In this reading “Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

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 THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

banksnounUS /bæŋks/

English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

BLACKadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.

clearedadjectiveUS /klɪrd/

rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

evidentadjectiveUS /ˈevədənt/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/

a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household

From this reading Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

LAKEnounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

Little-Maid

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

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

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

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

maidsnounUS /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

mendingnounUS /ˈmendɪŋ/

garments that must be repaired

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

needlenounUS /ˈniːdəl/

the leaf of a conifer

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Only the old housekeeper was sitting on a chair.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

pathsnounUS /pæðz/

plural of “path” — a course of conduct

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/

past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/

more desirable than another

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

sewingnounUS /ˈsoʊɪŋ/

joining or attaching by stitches

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading Before her lay a great courtyard with cleared paths between high banks of snow.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

table-benches

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

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

tailorsnounUS /ˈteɪlərz/

plural of “tailor” — a person whose occupation is making and altering garments

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

thimbles

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

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

threadverbUS /θred/

to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was evident that, like tailors, they preferred a high seat for sewing, for all five of them were perched up on the high table-benches.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Little-Maid was standing at the window, looking out.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE BLACK LAKE All five maids were sitting with their thimbles on and needle and thread on the table beside them, mending old clothes.

Chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home by Selma Lagerlöf holds 112 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.

What does chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home contain?

Chapter 3 holds 112 sentences of Liliecrona's home, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home by Selma Lagerlöf exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 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.

How do I study chapter 3 of Liliecrona's home?

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.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Liliecrona's home

Common questions about reading Liliecrona's home by Selma Lagerlöf on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Liliecrona's home?

Yes. All 3561 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76681 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Liliecrona's home is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76681, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Liliecrona's home take to read?

About 296 minutes of reading across 713 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Liliecrona's home

Words and structures a reader meets early in Liliecrona's home, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Winner: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Liliecrona's home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nobel: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Liliecrona's home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prize: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Liliecrona's home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Literature: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Liliecrona's home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III

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