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Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys
Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys is here in full — 380 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.
Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.
Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.
"What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.
"Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys is here in full — 380 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.
Line 2
Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.
Line 3
Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.
Line 4
"What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.
Line 5
"Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?
/waɪ ɑːr jɔːr aɪz ˈswoʊlən ɔːlˈredi bɪˈfɔːr ɪt ɪz ˈiːvɪn eɪt əˈklɑːk/

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.

apparition noun US /ˌæpərˈɪʃən/

a ghostly appearing figure

From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.”

Arriving verb US /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/

-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading “Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.”

astonishment noun US /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading “Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.”

drooping adjective US /ˈdruːpɪŋ/

weak from exhaustion

From this reading “Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.”

stride noun US /straɪd/

a step in walking or running

From this reading “Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.”

swollen adjective US /ˈswoʊlən/

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

From this reading “"Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?”

unexpected adjective US /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.”

unusual adjective US /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading “Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

APPARITIONnounUS /ˌæpərˈɪʃən/

a ghostly appearing figure

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

ArrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/

-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.

astonishmentnounUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

droopingadjectiveUS /ˈdruːpɪŋ/

weak from exhaustion

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

headnounUS /hed/

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

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.

Kurt

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

Lippo

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

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

Loneli

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

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

Mea

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

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading "What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

plansnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

rushedadjectiveUS /rʌʃt/

done under pressure

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

stridenounUS /straɪd/

a step in walking or running

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

swollenadjectiveUS /ˈswoʊlən/

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

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

UNEXPECTEDadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED APPARITION Kurt had so many plans the next day that he already rushed to school as if he had not a minute to lose.

unusualadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Arriving at the school, he saw Loneli coming along with a drooping head and not, as usual, with a happy stride.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What is it, Loneli?" asked Kurt coming nearer.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mea and Lippo, who started with him, looked full of astonishment at his unusual speed.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why are your eyes swollen already before it is even eight o'clock?

Chapter 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys by Johanna Spyri holds 380 sentences, grouped into 76 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 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys contain?

Chapter 4 holds 380 sentences of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys by Johanna Spyri exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 380 sentences, grouped into 76 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 4 of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys?

Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 76 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys

Common questions about reading Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys by Johanna Spyri on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys?

Yes. All 4007 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10142 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10142, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys take to read?

About 333 minutes of reading across 802 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys section by section

How to work through Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys

Words and structures a reader meets early in Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nearly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Castle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.