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Rockabye, Grady
Rockabye, Grady

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Rockabye, Grady
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!
On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.
The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.
It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.
The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Rockabye, Grady

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!
Line 2
On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.
Line 3
The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.
Line 4
It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.
Line 5
The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

Learner Dictionary

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.

charts noun US /tʃɑːrts/

plural of “chart” — a visual display of information

From this reading “On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.”

cryptic adjective US /ˈkrɪptɪk/

of an obscure nature

From this reading “On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.”

fern noun US /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading “The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.”

includes verb US /ˌɪnˈkluːdz/

third-person singular of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading “When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!”

indicates verb US /ˈɪndɪkeɪts/

third-person singular of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of

From this reading “On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.”

inhabited adjective US /ˌɪnˈhæbətəd/

having inhabitants; lived in

From this reading “The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.”

stops noun US /stɑːps/

a gambling card game in which chips are placed on the ace and king and queen and jack of separate suits (taken from a separate deck)

From this reading “On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.”

swamps noun US /swɑːmps/

plural of “swamp” — low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog

From this reading “The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

three times noun + noun

by a factor of three

In this reading “On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

1345

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

AZnoun

the azimuth of a celestial body is the angle between the vertical plane containing it and the plane of the meridian

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

cargonounUS /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

chartsnounUS /tʃɑːrts/

plural of “chart” — a visual display of information

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

crypticadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪptɪk/

of an obscure nature

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

fernnounUS /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

forestsnounUS /ˈfɔːrəsts/

plural of “forest” — the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

freelyadverbUS /ˈfriːli/

in a free manner

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

Grady

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

GuidenounUS /ɡaɪd/

someone employed to conduct others

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

includesverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdz/

third-person singular of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

indicatesverbUS /ˈɪndɪkeɪts/

third-person singular of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

inhabitedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈhæbətəd/

having inhabitants; lived in

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

it's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

LinesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

localadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/

relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

Mallor

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

nativesnounUS /ˈneɪtɪvz/

plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

primate-human

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

Pru'ut

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

speciesnounUS /ˈspiːʃiz/

(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

stopsnounUS /stɑːps/

a gambling card game in which chips are placed on the ace and king and queen and jack of separate suits (taken from a separate deck)

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

swampsnounUS /swɑːmps/

plural of “swamp” — low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

Terran

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

translatedverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪd/

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading It was also inhabited, for a while, by one Terran, James Grady.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The Guide will tell you a little more; that it's a small hot planet, covered with fern forests and swamps, and inhabited by one of the innumerable primate-human species of the universe.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The natives call it Pru'ut, which, freely translated, means "the world."

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading On the charts, it's P-1345-AZ, and a thin blue line marked with cryptic letters indicates that a Mallor Lines cargo ship stops three times in each local year.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When on Pru'ut, you must do as the natives do--and that includes dying as they do!

Chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady by David Mason holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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.

What does chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady contain?

Chapter 1 holds 196 sentences of Rockabye, Grady, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady by David Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Rockabye, Grady?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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.

Questions about reading Rockabye, Grady

Common questions about reading Rockabye, Grady by David Mason on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rockabye, Grady?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rockabye, Grady is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Rockabye, Grady section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Rockabye, Grady

Words and structures a reader meets early in Rockabye, Grady, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Rockabye, Grady, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Rockabye, Grady, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Rockabye, Grady, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.