Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Stories by English Authors
Stories by English Authors

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Rudyard [Contributor] Kipling • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Stories by English Authors
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.
“See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.
“Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.
We was there with Robert’s Army.
We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.
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.

Stories by English Authors

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.
Line 2
“See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.
Line 3
“Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.
Line 4
We was there with Robert’s Army.
/wiː wɑːz ðer wɪð ˈrɑːbərts ˈɑːrmi/
Line 5
We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Learner Dictionary

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.

consulted verb US /kənˈsʌltəd/

past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading “I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Encyclopaedia noun US /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə/

a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty

From this reading “I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frontier noun US /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading “I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hauled verb US /hɔːld/

past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily

From this reading “I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maps noun US /mæps/

plural of “map” — a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)

From this reading “I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Robert's noun US /ˈrɑːbərts/

possessive form of “robert” — United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
territory noun US /ˈterɪtɔːri/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading “We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thumb noun US /θʌm/

the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb

From this reading ““See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 51

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ArmynounUS /ˈɑːrmi/

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Britannica

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Pending verification
consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/

past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dravot

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

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

Pending verification
EncyclopaedianounUS /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə/

a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hauledverbUS /hɔːld/

past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IndianounUS /ˈɪndiə/

a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
INF-KAN

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Pending verification
Jagdallak

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

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

Pending verification
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Laghmann

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

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Pending verification
mapverbUS /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mapsnounUS /mæps/

plural of “map” — a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Peachey

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

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

Pending verification
rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Robert'snounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/

possessive form of “robert” — United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/

small or little relative to something else

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
territorynounUS /ˈterɪtɔːri/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Pending verification
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thumbnounUS /θʌm/

the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb

From this reading “See here!” said Dravot, his thumb on the map.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncased

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

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

Pending verification
UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “Up to Jagdallak, Peachey and me know the road.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
volumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading I uncased the big thirty-two-miles-to-the-inch map of India and two smaller Frontier maps, hauled down volume INF-KAN of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” and the men consulted them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
We'll

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

From this reading We’ll have to turn off to the right at Jagdallak through Laghmann territory.

Pending verification
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading We was there with Robert’s Army.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors by Rudyard [Contributor] Kipling holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors contain?

Chapter 2 holds 194 sentences of Stories by English Authors, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors by Rudyard [Contributor] Kipling exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Stories by English Authors?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.

Questions about reading Stories by English Authors

Common questions about reading Stories by English Authors by Rudyard [Contributor] Kipling on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Stories by English Authors?

Yes. All 2227 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2035 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Stories by English Authors is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2035, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Stories by English Authors take to read?

About 185 minutes of reading across 446 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Stories by English Authors section by section

How to work through Stories by English Authors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Stories by English Authors to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Stories by English Authors

Words and structures a reader meets early in Stories by English Authors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Brother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories by English Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prince
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories by English Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fellow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories by English Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beggar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories by English Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.