Chapter 24 of Rewards and Fairies is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of Rewards and Fairies is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘My Aunt looks over our rail. “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.” ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors. My Aunt answered him quite a piece. She was a notable woman.
Chapter 24 of Rewards and Fairies is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “She was a notable woman.”
any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid (fluid or gas)
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading “‘My Aunt looks over our rail.”
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
plural of “sweep” — a wide scope
From this reading “‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.”
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 My Aunt answered him quite a piece.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading My Aunt answered him quite a piece.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
plural of “call” — a telephone connection
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading She was a notable woman.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
above and across; more than
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading My Aunt answered him quite a piece.
any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid (fluid or gas)
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading My Aunt answered him quite a piece.
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading ‘My Aunt looks over our rail.
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
plural of “sweep” — a wide scope
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘Him that was laying the liddle swivel-gun at us sweeps off his hat an’ calls her Queen Bess, and asks if she was selling liquor to pore dry sailors.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She was a notable woman.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “George,” she says, “you finish with your enemies afore you begin on your friends.”
Chapter 24 of Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling holds 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 24 holds 213 sentences of Rewards and Fairies, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 24 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 Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5510 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #556 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #556, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 459 minutes of reading across 1102 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rewards and Fairies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Rewards and Fairies 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 Rewards and Fairies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
