Chapter 31 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN. Ha! This was a life again. Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews! There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
Chapter 31 of Ravenshoe is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading “IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.”
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
From this reading “Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!”
the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
From this reading “Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!”
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading “Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!”
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading “There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?”
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading “Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!”
comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?”
a cart for carrying small loads; has handles and one or more wheels
From this reading “Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!”
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 This was a life again.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
anew
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
a foul or degraded condition
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day
From this reading Ha!
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
street lined with buildings that were originally private stables but have been remodeled as dwellings
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was a life again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was a life again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There is a scent here sweeter than that of the dunghill, or the dandy's essences--what is it?
a cart for carrying small loads; has handles and one or more wheels
From this reading Better this than dawdling about at the heels of a dandy, or sitting on a wheelbarrow in a mews!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN.
Chapter 31 of Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 31 holds 180 sentences of Ravenshoe, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 31 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.
