Chapter 4 of Magic A Fantastic Comedy is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Magic A Fantastic Comedy is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DUKE. [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple. CONJURER. It is the simplest thing there is in the world. That is why you will not laugh.
Chapter 4 of Magic A Fantastic Comedy is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience
From this reading “CONJURER.”
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading “DUKE.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “That is why you will not laugh.”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “[_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.”
thinking that is coherent and logical
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading “[_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.”
superlative of “simple” — having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading “It is the simplest thing there is in the world.”
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “It is the simplest thing there is in the world.”
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.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience
From this reading CONJURER.
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading DUKE.
in an affable manner
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
the sound of laughing
From this reading That is why you will not laugh.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That is why you will not laugh.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
thinking that is coherent and logical
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
express in words
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
superlative of “simple” — having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That is why you will not laugh.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
a special situation
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That is why you will not laugh.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading That is why you will not laugh.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading It is the simplest thing there is in the world.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading [_Reasoning genially._] But as you say it is something quite simple.
Chapter 4 of Magic A Fantastic Comedy by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton holds 451 sentences, grouped into 91 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 4 holds 451 sentences of Magic A Fantastic Comedy, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Magic A Fantastic Comedy by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 451 sentences, grouped into 91 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 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.
Common questions about reading Magic A Fantastic Comedy by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Magic A Fantastic Comedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Magic A Fantastic Comedy to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Magic A Fantastic Comedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
