Chapter 6 of Old Peter's Russian Tales is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Old Peter's Russian Tales is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth. He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now? We must be at the top. Let me out, you old fool!" The old man said nothing; he climbed on and on.
Chapter 6 of Old Peter's Russian Tales is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading “He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?”
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading “The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.”
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Let me out, you old fool!"”
the act of retaining something
From this reading “The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.”
a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases
From this reading “The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.”
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?”
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading “The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.”
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading “The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.”
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 He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We must be at the top.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Let me out, you old fool!"
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the act of retaining something
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let me out, you old fool!"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Let me out, you old fool!"
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We must be at the top.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the upper part of anything
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He climbed a little further, and the old woman screamed out,-- "Are we at the top now?
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The old man said nothing, but went on, climbing up and up, nearly dead with the weight of the old woman in the sack which he was holding in his teeth.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Let me out, you old fool!"
Chapter 6 of Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome holds 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 6 holds 433 sentences of Old Peter's Russian Tales, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 6 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 Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3961 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16981 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16981, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 330 minutes of reading across 793 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Old Peter's Russian Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Old Peter's Russian Tales 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 Old Peter's Russian Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
