Chapter 1 of Our Den is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Our Den is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Savages are Expected. "I think it is our duty, John." "Stuff and nonsense. How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages? Let them spend their holidays at school."
Chapter 1 of Our Den is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading “The Savages are Expected.”
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading “Let them spend their holidays at school."”
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading “How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “"Stuff and nonsense.”
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading “How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?”
plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people
From this reading “The Savages are Expected.”
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading “Let them spend their holidays at school."”
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading “"Stuff and nonsense.”
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.
In this reading “How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?”
In this reading “Let them spend their holidays at school."”
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 How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Stuff and nonsense.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Savages are Expected.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading The Savages are Expected.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading "Stuff and nonsense.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people
From this reading The Savages are Expected.
an educational institution
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading "Stuff and nonsense.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Savages are Expected.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Let them spend their holidays at school."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think it is our duty, John."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading How can it be our duty to turn our house into a bear-garden for the sake of a lot of young savages?
Chapter 1 of Our Den by E. M. Waterworth holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 1 holds 68 sentences of Our Den, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Our Den by E. M. Waterworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 1 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 Our Den by E. M. Waterworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 893 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59872 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59872, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 74 minutes of reading across 179 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Our Den section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Our Den 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 Our Den, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
