Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Simon the Jester
Simon the Jester

Chapter XV

Cover illustration for Simon the Jester
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.
I read them over now, and laugh aloud.
Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.
Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.
And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.
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.

Simon the Jester

Chapter XV

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.
Line 2
I read them over now, and laugh aloud.
Line 3
Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.
Line 4
Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.
Line 5
And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.”

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.”

Nightmare noun US /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading “Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “I read them over now, and laugh aloud.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.”

Tell noun US /tell/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.”

All words in this reading · 55

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

aloud

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

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

Arch-Jester

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

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

devilishly

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

dreams

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

dying

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

humorous

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

imagined

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

Instead

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

joke

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

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

laugh

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

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

LifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

living

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

many

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

master

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

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

Mentone

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

more

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

most

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

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

Mustapha

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

now

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

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

proposed

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

read

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

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

Superieur

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

From this reading Instead of dying at Mentone as I proposed, I am here, at Mustapha Superieur, still living.

tellnounUS /tell/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Life is more devilishly humorous than I in my most nightmare dreams ever imagined.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I read them over now, and laugh aloud.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

weeks

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

words

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

wrote

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

From this reading It is many weeks since I wrote those words which I thought were to be my last.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And let me tell you the master joke of the Arch-Jester.