Chapter 11 of Stepsons of Light is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Stepsons of Light is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Call my horse," said Johnny Dines. "Your Honor, I object! This is preposterous--unheard of! We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove. I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
Chapter 11 of Stepsons of Light is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
under a curse
From this reading “We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.”
(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
From this reading “We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.”
a rude or vulgar fool
From this reading “I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.”
third-person singular of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading “"Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading “We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.”
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “"Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.”
so unreasonable as to invite derision
From this reading “This is preposterous--unheard of!”
not necessarily inaudible but not heard
From this reading “This is preposterous--unheard of!”
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 a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement
In this reading “I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.”
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.
under a curse
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
a rude or vulgar fool
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
third-person singular of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading "Your Honor, I object!
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Your Honor, I object!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is preposterous--unheard of!
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading "Your Honor, I object!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This is preposterous--unheard of!
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
so unreasonable as to invite derision
From this reading This is preposterous--unheard of!
be shown or be found to be
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Call my horse," said Johnny Dines.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is preposterous--unheard of!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
not necessarily inaudible but not heard
From this reading This is preposterous--unheard of!
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading We will admit the height of this accursed horse as being approximately fourteen hands, if that is what he wants to prove.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I ask that you keep this buffoon in order.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your Honor, I object!
Chapter 11 of Stepsons of Light by Eugene Manlove Rhodes holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 11 holds 423 sentences of Stepsons of Light, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Stepsons of Light by Eugene Manlove Rhodes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 11 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 Stepsons of Light by Eugene Manlove Rhodes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4688 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32704 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32704, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 390 minutes of reading across 938 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stepsons of Light section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Stepsons of Light 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 Stepsons of Light, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
