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Prince Prigio
Prince Prigio

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Prince Prigio is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Prince Prigio
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_About the Firedrake_.
Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.
For the king knew he was not clever, himself.
When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.
And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Prince Prigio

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Prince Prigio is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_About the Firedrake_.
Line 2
Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.
Line 3
For the king knew he was not clever, himself.
/fɔːr ðə kɪŋ nuː hiː wɑːz nɑːt ˈklevər hɪmˈself/
Line 4
When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.
Line 5
And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

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.

conspire verb US /kənˈspaɪər/

engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together

From this reading “And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.”

counting noun US /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/

the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

disliked adjective US /dɪˈslaɪkt/

regarded with aversion

From this reading “Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.”

fourteen noun US /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

pound verb US /paʊnd/

hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

shillings noun US /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

Sixteen adjective US /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

whisper noun US /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading “When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.”

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.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading _About the Firedrake_.

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

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 Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

cleveradjectiveUS /ˈklevər/

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

conspireverbUS /kənˈspaɪər/

engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

countingnounUS /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/

the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

counting-house

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

dislikedadjectiveUS /dɪˈslaɪkt/

regarded with aversion

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

Firedrakenoun

a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings

From this reading _About the Firedrake_.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

fourteennounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

Grognio

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

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

papanounUS /ˈpɑːpʌ/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

poundverbUS /paʊnd/

hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

poundsnounUS /paʊndz/

plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

Prigio

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

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

SixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _About the Firedrake_.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

twopencenoun

a former United Kingdom silver coin; United Kingdom bronze decimal coin worth two pennies

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading For the king knew he was not clever, himself.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was the last thing Prigio really wanted.

Chapter 3 of Prince Prigio by Andrew Lang holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 3 of Prince Prigio contain?

Chapter 3 holds 88 sentences of Prince Prigio, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Prince Prigio by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 3 of Prince Prigio?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Prince Prigio

Common questions about reading Prince Prigio by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Prince Prigio?

Yes. All 909 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20850 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Prince Prigio is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20850, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Prince Prigio take to read?

About 75 minutes of reading across 182 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Prince Prigio section by section

How to work through Prince Prigio section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Prince Prigio 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 Prince Prigio

Words and structures a reader meets early in Prince Prigio, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fairies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prince Prigio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Invited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prince Prigio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Court
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prince Prigio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reigned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Prince Prigio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.