Chapter 3 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The lovers fell into one another’s arms. The Earl’s proud face relaxed. “God bless you,” he said. The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn. The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
Chapter 3 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
the act of breaking something
From this reading “The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.”
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading “The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.”
possessive form of “earl” — a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
provided with artificial light
From this reading “The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.”
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading “The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.”
plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading “The lovers fell into one another’s arms.”
flowing profusely
From this reading “The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.”
without strain or anxiety
From this reading “The Earl’s proud face relaxed.”
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 The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
give a benediction to
From this reading “God bless you,” he said.
the act of breaking something
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
possessive form of “earl” — a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
From this reading The Earl’s proud face relaxed.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The Earl’s proud face relaxed.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “God bless you,” he said.
plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “God bless you,” he said.
provided with artificial light
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
flowing profusely
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading The Earl’s proud face relaxed.
without strain or anxiety
From this reading The Earl’s proud face relaxed.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “God bless you,” he said.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The breaking day illuminated a scene of gay congratulations.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The lovers fell into one another’s arms.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The Countess and the guests came pouring out upon the lawn.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “God bless you,” he said.
Chapter 3 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 holds 396 sentences of Nonsense Novels, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 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.
Common questions about reading Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2415 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4682 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4682, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 201 minutes of reading across 483 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Nonsense Novels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Nonsense Novels 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 Nonsense Novels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
