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Our Little French Cousin
Our Little French Cousin

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Our Little French Cousin is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Our Little French Cousin
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.
The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.
It seemed like fairyland to the children.
The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.
Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.
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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.

Our Little French Cousin

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Our Little French Cousin is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.
Line 2
The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.
/ðə laɪts wɜːr bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː ˈtwɪŋkəl ɪn ɔːl dərˈekʃənz ənd ɪn ə fjuː ˈmɪnəts ðə ˈrɪvər ənd ˈsɪti wɜːr əˈbleɪz/
Line 3
It seemed like fairyland to the children.
/ɪt siːmd laɪk ˈferilænd tuː ðə ˈtʃɪldrən/
Line 4
The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.
Line 5
Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.
/riːθs ʌv laɪts ɪn ðə ʃeɪp ʌv ˈflaʊərz ʌv ɔːl ˈkʌlərz meɪd ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl ˈɑːrtʃəz ʌv laɪt əˈkrɔːs ðə striːts/

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.

ablaze adjective US /əˈbleɪz/

keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement

From this reading “The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.”

arches noun US /ˈɑːrtʃəz/

plural of “arch” — a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading “Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.”

barges noun US /ˈbɑːrdʒəz/

plural of “barge” — a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

From this reading “THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.”

fairyland noun US /ˈferilænd/

something existing solely in the imagination (but often mistaken for reality)

From this reading “It seemed like fairyland to the children.”

globes noun US /ɡloʊbz/

plural of “globe” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading “The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.”

outlined adjective US /ˈaʊtlaɪnd/

showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary

From this reading “The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.”

quay noun US /kiː/

wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline

From this reading “THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.”

Wreaths noun US /riːθs/

plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes

From this reading “Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.”

growing dark noun + noun

In this reading “THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.”

across the streets preposition + article + noun counted as “across … street”

In this reading “Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.”

twinkle in verb + particle

In this reading “The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.”

little party adjective + noun

In this reading “THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.”

all directions adjective + noun counted as “all direction”

In this reading “The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.”

in the shape preposition + article + noun counted as “in … shape”

In this reading “Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

ablazeadjectiveUS /əˈbleɪz/

keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

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 The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

archesnounUS /ˈɑːrtʃəz/

plural of “arch” — a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

bargesnounUS /ˈbɑːrdʒəz/

plural of “barge” — a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

bridgesnounUS /ˈbrɪdʒəz/

United States labor leader who organized the longshoremen (1901-1990)

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading It seemed like fairyland to the children.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

coloursnounUS /ˈkʌlərz/

a distinguishing emblem

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

decksnounUS /deks/

plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

fairylandnounUS /ˈferilænd/

something existing solely in the imagination (but often mistaken for reality)

From this reading It seemed like fairyland to the children.

festoons

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

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

FÊTES

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

globesnounUS /ɡloʊbz/

plural of “globe” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

lampsnounUS /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It seemed like fairyland to the children.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

outlinedadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnd/

showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

quaynounUS /kiː/

wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

ROUEN

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/

thrown together in a disorderly fashion

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed like fairyland to the children.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

shapenounUS /ʃeɪp/

any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

twinkleverbUS /ˈtwɪŋkəl/

gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The lights were beginning to twinkle in all directions, and in a few minutes the river and city were ablaze.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE FÊTES AT ROUEN IT was growing dark when our little party scrambled over the decks of several barges, and finally found themselves walking up the quay.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The bridges were outlined with golden globes and festoons of tiny lamps of red, white, and blue.

WreathsnounUS /riːθs/

plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes

From this reading Wreaths of lights, in the shape of flowers of all colours, made innumerable arches of light across the streets.

Chapter 4 of Our Little French Cousin by Blanche McManus holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 4 of Our Little French Cousin contain?

Chapter 4 holds 122 sentences of Our Little French Cousin, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Our Little French Cousin by Blanche McManus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 4 of Our Little French Cousin?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Our Little French Cousin

Common questions about reading Our Little French Cousin by Blanche McManus on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Our Little French Cousin?

Yes. All 830 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43831 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Our Little French Cousin is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43831, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Our Little French Cousin take to read?

About 69 minutes of reading across 166 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Our Little French Cousin section by section

How to work through Our Little French Cousin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Our Little French Cousin 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 Our Little French Cousin

Words and structures a reader meets early in Our Little French Cousin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Little French Cousin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Little French Cousin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plates
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Little French Cousin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cloth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Little French Cousin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.