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Plain Tales from the Hills
Plain Tales from the Hills

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Plain Tales from the Hills
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.
These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.
200 to a secret service native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.
Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.
Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.
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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.

Plain Tales from the Hills

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.
/naʊ ðə səˈpriːm ˈɡʌvərmənt hæv ə ˈkerləs ˈkʌstəm ʌv kəˈmɪtɪŋ wʌt ðeɪ duː tuː ˈprɪntɪd ˈpeɪpərz/
Line 2
These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.
Line 3
200 to asecret servicenative, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.
Line 4
Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.
/ʌv kɔːrs ðiːz θɪŋz kʊd ˈnevər biː meɪd ˈpʌblɪk bɪˈkɔːz ˈneɪtɪv ˈprɪnsəz ˈnevər er əˈfɪʃəli ənd ðer steɪts ɑːr əˈfɪʃəli æz wel ədˈmɪnəstərd æz ˈaʊər ˈterətɔːriz/
Line 5
Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.
/ˈɔːlsoʊ ðə ˈpraɪvət əˈlaʊənsɪz tuː ˈveriəs kwɪr ˈpiːpəl ɑːr nɑːt ɪɡˈzæktli ˈmætərz tuː pʊt ˈɪntuː ˈnuːzpeɪpərz ðoʊ ðeɪ ɡɪv kweɪnt ˈriːdɪŋ səmˈtaɪmz/

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.

allowances noun US /əˈlaʊənsɪz/

plural of “allowance” — an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)

From this reading “Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.”

brusque adjective US /brʌsk/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading “200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.”

eccentricities noun US /ˌeksenˈtrɪsɪtiz/

plural of “eccentricity” — strange and unconventional behavior

From this reading “200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.”

err verb US /er/

to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading “Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.”

kidnapping noun US /ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/

(law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment

From this reading “200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.”

offenders noun US /əˈfendərz/

plural of “offender” — a person who transgresses moral or civil law

From this reading “200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.”

rebukes noun US /riˈbjuːks/

plural of “rebuke” — an act or expression of criticism and censure

From this reading “200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.”

territories noun US /ˈterətɔːriz/

plural of “territory” — a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading “Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.”

All words in this reading · 89

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.

200

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

administeredverbUS /ədˈmɪnəstərd/

past form of “administer” — work in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

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 These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

allowancesnounUS /əˈlaʊənsɪz/

plural of “allowance” — an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

AlsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

brusqueadjectiveUS /brʌsk/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

carelessadjectiveUS /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

committingverbUS /kəˈmɪtɪŋ/

inflected form of “commit” — perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

eccentricitiesnounUS /ˌeksenˈtrɪsɪtiz/

plural of “eccentricity” — strange and unconventional behavior

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

errverbUS /er/

to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

fillingnounUS /ˈfɪlɪŋ/

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

GovernmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

kidnappingnounUS /ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/

(law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

Motamids

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

nativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɪtɪv/

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

offendersnounUS /əˈfendərz/

plural of “offender” — a person who transgresses moral or civil law

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

officiallyadverbUS /əˈfɪʃəli/

in an official role

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

paymentnounUS /ˈpeɪmənt/

a sum of money paid or a claim discharged

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

pepperverbUS /ˈpepər/

add pepper to

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

poundedverbUS /ˈpaʊndɪd/

past form of “pound” — hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

PrincesnounUS /ˈprɪnsəz/

plural of “prince” — a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

printedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/

strange in an interesting or pleasing way

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

queeradjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

rebukesnounUS /riˈbjuːks/

plural of “rebuke” — an act or expression of criticism and censure

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

rednounUS /red/

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

refrainverbUS /rɪˈfreɪn/

resist doing something

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

Rs

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

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

sortsnounUS /sɔːrts/

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

SupremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

territoriesnounUS /ˈterətɔːriz/

plural of “territory” — a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

Vakils

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

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading Also, the private allowances to various queer people are not exactly matters to put into newspapers, though they give quaint reading sometimes.

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 Of course, these things could never be made public, because Native Princes never err officially, and their States are, officially, as well administered as Our territories.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Now, the Supreme Government have a careless custom of committing what they do to printed papers.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading These papers deal with all sorts of things--from the payment of Rs.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading 200 to a “secret service” native, up to rebukes administered to Vakils and Motamids of Native States, and rather brusque letters to Native Princes, telling them to put their houses in order, to refrain from kidnapping women, or filling offenders with pounded red pepper, and eccentricities of that kind.

Chapter 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling holds 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills contain?

Chapter 8 holds 173 sentences of Plain Tales from the Hills, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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 8 of Plain Tales from the Hills?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Plain Tales from the Hills

Common questions about reading Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Plain Tales from the Hills?

Yes. All 3876 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Plain Tales from the Hills is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Plain Tales from the Hills take to read?

About 323 minutes of reading across 776 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Plain Tales from the Hills section by section

How to work through Plain Tales from the Hills section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Plain Tales from the Hills 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 Plain Tales from the Hills

Words and structures a reader meets early in Plain Tales from the Hills, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Error
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plain Tales from the Hills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fraud
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plain Tales from the Hills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tod's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plain Tales from the Hills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amendment
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plain Tales from the Hills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.