Chapter 4 of Soldier Stories is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Soldier Stories is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp. 'He's not a sergeant. What in the world is he?' The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man. It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
Chapter 4 of Soldier Stories is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
From this reading “It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.”
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading “'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.”
someone who enters by force in order to conquer
From this reading “It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.”
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading “The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.”
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading “It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.”
made afraid
From this reading “The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.”
plural of “settle” — a long wooden bench with a back
From this reading “'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.”
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading “The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.”
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 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What in the world is he?'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'He's not a sergeant.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What in the world is he?'
someone who enters by force in order to conquer
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What in the world is he?'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
not any; not one
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'He's not a sergeant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
and nothing more
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
made afraid
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading 'He's not a sergeant.
plural of “settle” — a long wooden bench with a back
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What in the world is he?'
in the company of; together with
From this reading 'That settles it,' said the Colonel, with a gasp.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading It was no wonder that the ragged, filthy invader could only smile and shake his head.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading What in the world is he?'
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The entire mess echoed the word, and the volley of questions would have scared any man.
Chapter 4 of Soldier Stories by Rudyard Kipling holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 426 sentences of Soldier Stories, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Soldier Stories by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 4 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 Soldier Stories by Rudyard Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2853 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28537 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28537, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 237 minutes of reading across 571 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Soldier Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Soldier Stories 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 Soldier Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
