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

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Stories from the Pentamerone
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.
1.
How the Tales came to be told 2.
The Myrtle 3.
Peruonto 4.
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 from the Pentamerone

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.
Line 2
1.
Line 3
How the Tales came to be told 2.
Line 4
The Myrtle 3.
Line 5
Peruonto 4.

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.

chiefly adverb US /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

collected adjective US /kəˈlektəd/

brought together in one place

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

collection noun US /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

Crete noun US /kriːt/

the largest Greek island in the Mediterranean; site of the Minoan civilization that reached its peak in 1600 BC

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

dialect noun US /ˈdaɪəlekt/

the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

Myrtle noun US /ˈmɜːrtəl/

widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers

From this reading “The Myrtle 3.”

Naples noun US /ˈneɪpəlz/

a port and tourist center in southwestern Italy; capital of the Campania region

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

Venice noun US /ˈvenəs/

the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction

From this reading “The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

1

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

From this reading 1.

1637

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

2

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

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

3

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

From this reading The Myrtle 3.

4

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

From this reading Peruonto 4.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Basile

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/

brought together in one place

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Conte

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

CretenounUS /kriːt/

the largest Greek island in the Mediterranean; site of the Minoan civilization that reached its peak in 1600 BC

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

di

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

dialectnounUS /ˈdaɪəlekt/

the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

folk-tales

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Giambattista

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

How

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

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

IlnounUS /ɪl/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

MyrtlenounUS /ˈmɜːrtəl/

widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers

From this reading The Myrtle 3.

NaplesnounUS /ˈneɪpəlz/

a port and tourist center in southwestern Italy; capital of the Campania region

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Neopolitannoun

a resident of Naples

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Pentamerone

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Peruonto

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

From this reading Peruonto 4.

publishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

TalesnounUS /teɪlz/

plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading How the Tales came to be told 2.

Torrone

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

VenicenounUS /ˈvenəs/

the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The collection of folk-tales known as Il Pentamerone was first published at Naples and in the Neopolitan dialect, by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice, and to have died about the year 1637.

Chapter 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone by Giambattista Basile holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

What does chapter 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone contain?

Chapter 1 holds 121 sentences of Stories from the Pentamerone, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone by Giambattista Basile exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 1 of Stories from the Pentamerone?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 from the Pentamerone

Common questions about reading Stories from the Pentamerone by Giambattista Basile on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Stories from the Pentamerone?

Yes. All 2390 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2198 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Stories from the Pentamerone is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2198, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Stories from the Pentamerone take to read?

About 199 minutes of reading across 478 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Stories from the Pentamerone section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Stories from the Pentamerone 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 from the Pentamerone

Words and structures a reader meets early in Stories from the Pentamerone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Collection
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories from the Pentamerone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Folk-tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories from the Pentamerone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Known
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories from the Pentamerone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pentamerone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories from the Pentamerone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.