Chapter 9 of Shawn of Skarrow is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Shawn of Skarrow is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Shawn had been at home for several days. One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river. A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace. Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe. Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
Chapter 9 of Shawn of Skarrow is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
nut of any of several trees of the genus Corylus
From this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
a man who operates a ferry
From this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.”
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading “A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.”
a worker who oils engines or machinery
From this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
plural of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ruth Saint Denis (1891-1972)
From this reading “Shawn had been at home for several days.”
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 “Shawn had been at home for several days.”
a reception held in your own home
In this reading “Shawn had been at home for several days.”
In this reading “A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.”
In this reading “One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.”
In this reading “Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.”
In this reading “One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.”
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 A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
nut of any of several trees of the genus Corylus
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
a man who operates a ferry
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
start firing a weapon
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
an expression of greeting
From this reading Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
a worker who oils engines or machinery
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A cheerful log fire glowed in the old fireplace.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
plural of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading Pence Oiler, the ferryman, sat in the corner puffing at a cob pipe.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
uttered with a trill
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ruth Saint Denis (1891-1972)
From this reading Shawn had been at home for several days.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly, came the loud cry of "Hello!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
at the time that
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One night when the waves were rolling high on the stream, he sat in the office of the hotel, which stood on the bank of the river.
Chapter 9 of Shawn of Skarrow by James Tandy Ellis holds 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 9 holds 70 sentences of Shawn of Skarrow, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Shawn of Skarrow by James Tandy Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 9 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 Shawn of Skarrow by James Tandy Ellis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1242 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26934 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26934, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 103 minutes of reading across 249 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shawn of Skarrow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Shawn of Skarrow 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 Shawn of Skarrow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
