Chapter 3 of Parrot & Co. is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Parrot & Co. is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground. She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly. "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said. "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye. It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
Chapter 3 of Parrot & Co. is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
click repeatedly or uncontrollably
From this reading “"There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.”
look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading “Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.”
plural of “liar” — a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
From this reading “"The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.”
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading “It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.”
in a peacefully serene manner
From this reading “"The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.”
characterized by insincerity or deceit; evasive
From this reading “"There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.”
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading “She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.”
not worthy of trust or belief
From this reading “"There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.”
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 "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
click repeatedly or uncontrollably
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
at any time
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
the organ of sight
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
highest in quality
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
plural of “liar” — a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
cut with a saw
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
in a peacefully serene manner
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
characterized by insincerity or deceit; evasive
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
make steady
From this reading It's a matter of steady nerves, nothing more.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
successive (without a break)
From this reading "The greatest liars I have ever known could look St. Peter straight and serenely in the eye.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading She stirred her tea and sipped it slowly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Elsa saw the frown, and realized that she had approached delicate ground.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
not worthy of trust or belief
From this reading "There has been a deal of chatter about shifty untrustworthy eyes," he said.
Chapter 3 of Parrot & Co. by Harold MacGrath holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 421 sentences of Parrot & Co., unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Parrot & Co. by Harold MacGrath exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Parrot & Co. by Harold MacGrath on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5118 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18443 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18443, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 426 minutes of reading across 1024 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Parrot & Co. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Parrot & Co. 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 Parrot & Co., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
