Chapter 3 of Northern Lights is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Northern Lights is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Already he had swallowed the biscuit. "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on. "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket. _Grace!_ I have travel so far. _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
Chapter 3 of Northern Lights is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda
From this reading “Already he had swallowed the biscuit.”
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading “"Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading “"Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.”
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading “"Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.”
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading “"Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.”
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading “Already he had swallowed the biscuit.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “_Grace!_ I have travel so far.”
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading “"When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.”
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.
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.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
take in solid food
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
apart from; not including
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading _Grace!_ I have travel so far.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading _Grace!_ I have travel so far.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Grace!_ I have travel so far.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
immediately past
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading _Grace!_ I have travel so far.
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Already he had swallowed the biscuit.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Jesu_, I think it ees ten thousan' miles, I go.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading _Grace!_ I have travel so far.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "Two nights--except for one leetla piece of bread--I fin' it in my pocket.
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
at the time that
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "When did you eat last?" she asked, as she urged him on.
Chapter 3 of Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 3 holds 401 sentences of Northern Lights, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6434 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26905 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26905, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 536 minutes of reading across 1287 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Northern Lights section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Northern Lights 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 Northern Lights, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
