Chapter 4 of Nonsense Novels 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 IV
Chapter 4 of Nonsense Novels is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I brought Otto to our home. He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch. They sat together in the evening. And now my father is angry. He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
Chapter 4 of Nonsense Novels 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.
feeling or showing anger
From this reading “And now my father is angry.”
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading “They sat together in the evening.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “They sat together in the evening.”
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “He says that Otto wanted to touch him.”
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.”
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading “They sat together in the evening.”
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading “He says that Otto wanted to touch him.”
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading “He says that Otto wanted to touch him.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now my father is angry.
feeling or showing anger
From this reading And now my father is angry.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And now my father is angry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now my father is angry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I brought Otto to our home.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading They sat together in the evening.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He says that Otto wanted to touch him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He spoke with my father, Ivan Ivanovitch.
Chapter 4 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock 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 4 holds 413 sentences of Nonsense Novels, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock 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 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 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, unabridged. 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.
