Chapter 22 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXII
Chapter 22 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I was ready. I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown." With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door. I might have been pausing between two worlds. The house was quiet.
Chapter 22 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading “I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."”
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading “With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.”
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “I might have been pausing between two worlds.”
inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading “I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."”
past form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail
From this reading “I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."”
abounding with or resembling stars
From this reading “With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.”
not making concessions
From this reading “I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."”
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “I might have been pausing between two worlds.”
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.
In this reading “With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.”
In this reading “I might have been pausing between two worlds.”
In this reading “With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.”
if there happens to be need
In this reading “I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
(Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
an occurrence of something
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
opinion or judgment
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
steadfast in affection or allegiance
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house was quiet.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was ready.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
and nothing more
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The house was quiet.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading I was ready.
past form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
abounding with or resembling stars
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
not making concessions
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was ready.
during the time that
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading With eyes fixed on a starry knot of wood at the threshold, I stood for a while, with head bent, listening at my door.
the words that are spoken
From this reading I pinned to the carpet a message for Adam, in case he should dare to be faithful to me--just four scribbled uncompromising words: "The Bird is flown."
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading I might have been pausing between two worlds.
Chapter 22 of Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 22 holds 413 sentences of Memoirs of a Midget, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 22 of Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 22 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 Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9303 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39122, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Memoirs of a Midget section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Memoirs of a Midget 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 Memoirs of a Midget, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
