Chapter 23 of Sir Christopher is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Sir Christopher is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?" "I fear it, Cecil. See how bright the west is!" It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's. All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Chapter 23 of Sir Christopher is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
the capacity to attract and hold something
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading “CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"”
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's.”
a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
a person who has never had sex
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
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.
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"”
In this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
In this reading “All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.”
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.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
the capacity to attract and hold something
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading See how bright the west is!"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
feast day commemorating the presentation of Christ in the temple; a quarter day in Scotland
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I fear it, Cecil.
a place of worship that has its own altar
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading "I fear it, Cecil.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
an opening into or through something
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading See how bright the west is!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I fear it, Cecil.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading See how bright the west is!"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I fear it, Cecil.
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
a person who has never had sex
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Candlemas Eve at St. Mary's.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading See how bright the west is!"
at the time that
From this reading CANDLEMAS EVE "Couthin Marget, dost think the ground-hog can see his shadow when he comes out of his hole to-morrow?"
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading All day Cecil had been in the woods gathering snowdrops for the shrine of the Virgin, and binding bay-leaves into wreaths to decorate Our Lady's Chapel.
Chapter 23 of Sir Christopher by Maud Wilder Goodwin holds 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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 23 holds 206 sentences of Sir Christopher, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Sir Christopher by Maud Wilder Goodwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 23 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 Sir Christopher by Maud Wilder Goodwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5127 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48294, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 427 minutes of reading across 1026 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sir Christopher section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Sir Christopher 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 Sir Christopher, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
