Chapter 4 of Stories from Switzerland is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Stories from Switzerland is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Thomas was better, and able to stand. He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been. “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is. She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.” _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
Chapter 4 of Stories from Switzerland is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention
From this reading “She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.””
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.””
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.””
past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading “_J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?”
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading “He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.”
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading “_J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?”
a person who requires medical care
From this reading “She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.””
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading “Thomas was better, and able to stand.”
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 this reading ““You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.”
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 “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
a person who is in charge
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
a young female
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
a person who requires medical care
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
be standing; be upright
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
express a supposition
From this reading _J._ I suppose her parents have instructed her carefully?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He told Joseph how kind Margaret had been.
precisely as stated
From this reading She is so attentive, so gentle, and so patient, that it is very plain her chief delight is in doing good to others.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Thomas was better, and able to stand.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You cannot think,” said he, “what a good girl she is.
Chapter 4 of Stories from Switzerland by César Malan holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 396 sentences of Stories from Switzerland, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Stories from Switzerland by César Malan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Stories from Switzerland by César Malan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1605 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62568 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62568, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 133 minutes of reading across 321 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stories from Switzerland section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Stories from Switzerland 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 Stories from Switzerland, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
