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Madame Chrysantheme — Complete
Madame Chrysantheme — Complete

Chapter XIX · The Prayerful Madame Prune

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Context Illustration Reading 1/7 · 5 lines
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More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.
And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.
Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.
It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.
It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Madame Chrysantheme — Complete

Chapter XIX · The Prayerful Madame Prune

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.
Line 2
And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.
Line 3
Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.
Line 4
It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.
Line 5
It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Above preposition US /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.”

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.”

Below preposition US /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading “Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.”

Least noun US /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.”

All words in this reading · 114

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

accompanied

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

actually

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

all

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

ascending

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

back

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

bleating

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

ceases

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

celebrate

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

cheerful

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

chirp

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

clapper

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

clapping

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

cocks

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

continues

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

crowing

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

cry

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

dawn

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

delirious

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

discs

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

drones

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

dry

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

early

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

ears

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

floor

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

flow

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

fountain

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

fruit-seller

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

goat

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

grasshoppers

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

harsh

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

high

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

hour

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

inattentive

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

key

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

kind

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

lasts

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

leastnounUS /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

like

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

listening

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

lofty

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

loudly

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

Madame

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

made

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

mandragora

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

monotonous

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

More

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

nasal

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

neighborhood

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

old

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

palms

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

panels

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

patrolling

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

plash

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

prayer

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

prayers

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

Prune's

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

quarters

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

quavering

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

rapid

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

regular

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From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

return

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From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

rises

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From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

rollers

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From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

root

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

seem

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

sliding

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From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

some

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

somnambulist

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

song

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

soothing

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

sound

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

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

sounds

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

spirits

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

stopping

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

strange

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

stream

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

suburb

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

sunlight

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

three

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Above all, rises to our ears from below the sound of Madame Prune's long prayers, ascending through the floor, monotonous as the song of a somnambulist, regular and soothing as the plash of a fountain.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And the grasshoppers actually seem to chirp more loudly, to celebrate the return of the sunlight.

two

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

uninterrupted

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

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading It is an uninterrupted stream of prayer; its flow never ceases, and the quavering continues without stopping, like the bleating of a delirious old goat.

wooden

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

From this reading More cheerful are the sounds of morning: the cocks crowing, the wooden panels all around the neighborhood sliding back upon their rollers; or the strange cry of some fruit-seller, patrolling our lofty suburb in the early dawn.

words

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

From this reading It lasts three quarters of an hour at least, it drones along, a rapid flow of words in a high nasal key; from time to time, when the inattentive spirits are not listening, it is accompanied by a clapping of dry palms, or by harsh sounds from a kind of wooden clapper made of two discs of mandragora root.