Chapter 18 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 336 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 336 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON. Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked. For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard. The beasts were in their home. No terrible new morrow for them.
Chapter 18 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 336 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/67 · 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.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “The beasts were in their home.”
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading “Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.”
possessive form of “charles” — King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading “CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.”
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading “For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.”
the next day
From this reading “No terrible new morrow for them.”
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading “Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.”
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading “CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.”
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.
In this reading “For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.”
In this reading “For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.”
put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.
In this reading “Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.”
In this reading “Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.”
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 Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
react verbally
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The beasts were in their home.
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
possessive form of “charles” — King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The beasts were in their home.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.
the next day
From this reading No terrible new morrow for them.
in motion
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading No terrible new morrow for them.
not any; not one
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.
except for; apart from
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading No terrible new morrow for them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The beasts were in their home.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading No terrible new morrow for them.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Passing out of the park, Charles set down his burden at the door of a small farm-house at the further end of the village, and knocked.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading For some time he stood waiting for an answer, and heard no sound save the cows and horses moving about in the warm straw-yard.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The beasts were in their home.
Chapter 18 of Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley holds 336 sentences, grouped into 68 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 18 holds 336 sentences of Ravenshoe, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 336 sentences, grouped into 68 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 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 68 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 18 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 Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 12038 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41636 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41636, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2408 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ravenshoe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Ravenshoe 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 Ravenshoe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
