Chapter 3 of Penny Plain is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Penny Plain is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten." AUSTIN DOBSON. Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
Chapter 3 of Penny Plain is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
French revolutionary heroine (a Girondist) who assassinated Marat (1768-1793)
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
large brown aquatic larva of the dobsonfly; used as fishing bait
From this reading “AUSTIN DOBSON.”
young domestic cat
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
superlative of “mild” — moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
feeling mild pleasurable excitement
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
treated with wax
From this reading “Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."”
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 Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
(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 Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas
From this reading AUSTIN DOBSON.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
past form of “blush” — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
French revolutionary heroine (a Girondist) who assassinated Marat (1768-1793)
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
large brown aquatic larva of the dobsonfly; used as fishing bait
From this reading AUSTIN DOBSON.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
young domestic cat
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
the force of workers available
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
superlative of “mild” — moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
the superior of a group of nuns
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
the act of searching for something
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
feeling mild pleasurable excitement
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before seeking her stony couch at the end of her first day at Priorsford, Pamela finished the letter begun in the morning to her brother.
precisely as stated
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
treated with wax
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
at the time that
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
which person or people
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
but in spite of that
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Ruth, all heart and tenderness Who wept, like Chaucer's Prioress, When Dash was smitten: Who blushed before the mildest men, Yet waxed a very Corday when You teased the kitten."
Chapter 3 of Penny Plain by O. Douglas holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 100 sentences of Penny Plain, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Penny Plain by O. Douglas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 Penny Plain by O. Douglas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5869 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12768 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12768, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 489 minutes of reading across 1174 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Penny Plain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Penny Plain 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 Penny Plain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
