Sandburrs

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Sandburrs is here in full — 6 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Alfred Henry Lewis • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 6

The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

_Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

François St. Cyr fled wildly.

Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sandburrs

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Sandburrs is here in full — 6 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 6 reading units · Lines 1–6

Line 1

The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

Line 2

Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

Line 3

_Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

Line 4

Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

Line 5

François St. Cyr fled wildly.

Line 6

Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

/ðen hiː wept ənd dræŋk bɪr ənd tɔːkt ʌv hɪz ˈɑːnər/

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.

casket noun US /ˈkæskət/

box in which a corpse is buried or cremated

From this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

housekeeping noun US /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/

the work of cleaning and running a house

From this reading “Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.”

hurled verb US /hɜːrld/

past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully

From this reading “_Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.”

implements noun US /ˈɪmpləmənts/

plural of “implement” — instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end

From this reading “Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.”

oral adjective US /ˈɔːrəl/

using speech rather than writing

From this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

presentation noun US /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

rhetoric noun US /ˈretərɪk/

using language effectively to please or persuade

From this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

swans noun US /swɑːnz/

plural of “swan” — stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

From this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

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.

drank beer verb + noun counted as “drink beer”

In this reading “Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.”

upper window adjective + noun

In this reading “_Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.”

morning papers noun + noun

In this reading “The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.”

came home verb + noun counted as “come home”

become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions

In this reading “_Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.”

talked of verb + particle counted as “talk of”

discuss or mention

In this reading “Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

Bebe

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

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

beernounUS /bɪr/

a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

casketnounUS /ˈkæskət/

box in which a corpse is buried or cremated

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

Cyr

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

drankverbUS /dræŋk/

inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

fledverbUS /fled/

inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly

From this reading François St. Cyr fled wildly.

flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

François

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

housekeepingnounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/

the work of cleaning and running a house

From this reading Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/

past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

implementsnounUS /ˈɪmpləmənts/

plural of “implement” — instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end

From this reading Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

jewelsnounUS /ˈdʒuːəlz/

plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

LateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

oraladjectiveUS /ˈɔːrəl/

using speech rather than writing

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Bebe followed it with other implements of light housekeeping.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

Peste

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

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

presentationnounUS /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

rhetoricnounUS /ˈretərɪk/

using language effectively to please or persuade

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

swansnounUS /swɑːnz/

plural of “swan” — stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading The morning papers told of the beauty in swans' down; the casket of jewels, and the presentation rhetoric of François St. Cyr, flowing like a river of oral fire.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

weptverbUS /wept/

inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading Then he wept and drank beer and talked of his honour.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/

to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree

From this reading François St. Cyr fled wildly.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading _Peste!_ Later, when François St. Cyr came home, Bebe hurled the clock at him from an upper window.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Bebe read it with the first light of dawn.

Chapter 3 of Sandburrs by Alfred Henry Lewis holds 6 sentences, grouped into 2 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 3 of Sandburrs contain?

Chapter 3 holds 6 sentences of Sandburrs, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Sandburrs by Alfred Henry Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 6 sentences, grouped into 2 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 3 of Sandburrs?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Sandburrs

Common questions about reading Sandburrs by Alfred Henry Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sandburrs?

Yes. All 5260 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51981 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sandburrs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51981, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sandburrs take to read?

About 438 minutes of reading across 1052 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sandburrs section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 27 chapters of Sandburrs to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Sandburrs

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

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sandburrs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wolfville: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sandburrs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sandburrs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horace: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sandburrs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III

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Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Sandburrs

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