Chapter 14 of Puck of Pook's Hill is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Puck of Pook's Hill is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'And now, how many catapults have you?" He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there. "'No, Caesar," said he. "Do not tempt the Gods too far. Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
Chapter 14 of Puck of Pook's Hill is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC)
From this reading “"'No, Caesar," said he.”
plural of “catapult” — a plaything consisting of a Y-shaped stick with elastic between the arms; used to propel small stones
From this reading “"'And now, how many catapults have you?"”
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading “Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.”
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “"Do not tempt the Gods too far.”
set down according to a plan
From this reading “He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.”
give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of
From this reading “He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.”
show unwillingness towards
From this reading “Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.”
dispose or incline or entice to
From this reading “"Do not tempt the Gods too far.”
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 He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
the two together, not just one
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC)
From this reading "'No, Caesar," said he.
plural of “catapult” — a plaything consisting of a Y-shaped stick with elastic between the arms; used to propel small stones
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
set down according to a plan
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
the force of workers available
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
not any; not one
From this reading "'No, Caesar," said he.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
show unwillingness towards
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "'No, Caesar," said he.
carry out
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
dispose or incline or entice to
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "Do not tempt the Gods too far.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He turned up a new list, but Pertinax laid his open hand there.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Take men, or engines, but not both; else we refuse."' 'Engines?' said Una.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'And now, how many catapults have you?"
Chapter 14 of Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 14 holds 216 sentences of Puck of Pook's Hill, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 14 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 Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4204 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #557, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 350 minutes of reading across 841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Puck of Pook's Hill section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Puck of Pook's Hill 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 Puck of Pook's Hill, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
