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Once on a Time
Once on a Time

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Once on a Time is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Once on a Time
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.
She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.
"Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."
For a full minute there was silence.
Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Once on a Time

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Once on a Time is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.
Line 2
She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.
/ʃiː lʊkt ˈoʊvər ðə ˈmedoʊz ənd əˈkrɔːs ðə ˈpiːsfəl striːm ðæt ˈwɑːndərd θruː ðem tuː ðə ˈfɔːrəst wer ʃiː hæd met hɜːr ˈferi ənd ʃiː ɡeɪv ə ˈlɪtəl saɪ/
Line 3
"Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."
Line 4
For a full minute there was silence.
/fɔːr ə fʊl ˈmɪnət ðer wɑːz ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Line 5
Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

Learner Dictionary

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.

bravely adverb US /ˈbreɪvli/

in a courageous manner

From this reading “"Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."”

dancing noun US /ˈdænsɪŋ/

taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music

From this reading “"Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."”

fairy noun US /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.”

Good-bye noun US /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading “"Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."”

hyacinth noun US /ˈhaɪəsɪnθ/

a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

From this reading “THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.”

meadows noun US /ˈmedoʊz/

plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading “She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.”

peaceful adjective US /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading “She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.”

wandered verb US /ˈwɑːndərd/

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading “She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.”

All words in this reading · 77

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

bravelyadverbUS /ˈbreɪvli/

in a courageous manner

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

dancingnounUS /ˈdænsɪŋ/

taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading For a full minute there was silence.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

Good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

HYACINTHnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθ/

a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

LOVERnounUS /ˈlʌvər/

a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

meadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/

plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading For a full minute there was silence.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

PleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

PrincenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

remarkableadjectiveUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

unusual or striking

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

sighverbUS /saɪ/

heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading For a full minute there was silence.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

THEREadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

Udo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

Udo's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

WAITINGnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, to the forest where she had met her fairy, and she gave a little sigh.

Wiggs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading THERE IS A LOVER WAITING FOR HYACINTH So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Then from the direction of Udo's room below there came these remarkable words:

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading "Good-bye, dancing," she said; and then she held the ring up and went on bravely, "Please I was a very good girl all yesterday, and I wish that Prince Udo may be well again."

Chapter 16 of Once on a Time by A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne holds 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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.

What does chapter 16 of Once on a Time contain?

Chapter 16 holds 56 sentences of Once on a Time, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Once on a Time by A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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.

How do I study chapter 16 of Once on a Time?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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.

Can chapter 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

Questions about reading Once on a Time

Common questions about reading Once on a Time by A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Once on a Time?

Yes. All 3906 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27771 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Once on a Time is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27771, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Once on a Time take to read?

About 325 minutes of reading across 782 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Once on a Time section by section

How to work through Once on a Time section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Once on a Time to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Once on a Time

Words and structures a reader meets early in Once on a Time, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Arrangement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once on a Time; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Putnam's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once on a Time; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once on a Time; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amusement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once on a Time; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.