Chapter 17 of Princess Zara is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Princess Zara is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me. I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived. When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him? "Hush!" she continued. "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
Chapter 17 of Princess Zara is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
a male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917)
From this reading “I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.”
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading “LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.”
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading “"Hush!" she continued.”
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading “When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?”
be obedient to
From this reading “LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.”
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading “When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?”
showing curiosity
From this reading “I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.”
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 When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
without stop or interruption
From this reading "Hush!" she continued.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
a male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917)
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading "Hush!" she continued.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
be obedient to
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Hush!" she continued.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
not in physical motion
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
having come into contact
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
up to a particular time
From this reading LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY The princess paused and bent her head until it almost touched me.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
at the time that
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading When death was so near, within a few inches of his face, what could have saved him?
showing curiosity
From this reading I waited, wondering how it could be that the czar still lived.
but in spite of that
From this reading "The end is not yet--not quite yet.
Chapter 17 of Princess Zara by Ross Beeckman holds 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 17 holds 238 sentences of Princess Zara, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Princess Zara by Ross Beeckman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 17 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 Princess Zara by Ross Beeckman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24427 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24427, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 284 minutes of reading across 683 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Princess Zara section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Princess Zara 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 Princess Zara, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
