Chapter 13 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"HOLD THE LIMITED MAIL!" Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher. "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice. "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly. "What's the matter with you?
Chapter 13 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
surprising greatly
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
a formal public statement
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
fraught with uncertainty or doubt
From this reading “"A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.”
powerful brownish-yellow bear of the uplands of western North America
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading “"A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.”
having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor
From this reading “Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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 "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
surprising greatly
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
a formal public statement
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
fraught with uncertainty or doubt
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
lacking conviction or boldness or courage
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
powerful brownish-yellow bear of the uplands of western North America
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "HOLD THE LIMITED MAIL!"
be the source of pain
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
without good reason
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
small in range or scope
From this reading "HOLD THE LIMITED MAIL!"
an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading "HOLD THE LIMITED MAIL!"
American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter with you?
no person; not anyone
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
the act of making and recording a measurement
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
compacted by ironing
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
express in words
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "HOLD THE LIMITED MAIL!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
create by training and teaching
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor
From this reading Ralph pressed closer to his loophole of observation at the amazing announcement of Grizzly, the traitorous train dispatcher.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter with you?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Oh, nobody will get hurt," declared Grizzly lightly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What's the matter with you?
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "A wreck, you say?" observed Mason, in a dubious and faint-hearted tone of voice.
Chapter 13 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 13 holds 129 sentences of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 13 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 Ralph, the Train Dispatcher by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3993 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38969 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38969, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 332 minutes of reading across 799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ralph, the Train Dispatcher section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Ralph, the Train Dispatcher 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 Ralph, the Train Dispatcher, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
