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Stories of Starland
Stories of Starland

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Stories of Starland is here in full — 468 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Proctor • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Stories of Starland
Context Illustration Reading 1/93 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.
PREFACE.
This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.
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 of Starland

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Stories of Starland is here in full — 468 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/93 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
/aɪˈtælɪk tekst ɪz dɪˈnoʊtəd baɪ ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/
Line 2
BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.
Line 3
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.
Line 4
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/
Line 5
This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

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.

conversing verb US /kənˈvɜːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “converse” — carry on a conversation

From this reading “This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
denoted verb US /dɪˈnoʊtəd/

past form of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading “Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handiwork noun US /ˈhændiwɜːrk/

a work produced by hand labor

From this reading “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Italic noun US /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading “Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “PREFACE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proctor noun US /ˈprɑːktər/

someone who supervises (an examination)

From this reading “BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Psalms noun US /sɑːlmz/

an Old Testament book consisting of a collection of 150 Psalms

From this reading “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
underscores noun US /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

conversing with verb + particle counted as “converse with”

In this reading “This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.”

8,586 times in 426,211 chapters
from the beginning preposition + article + noun counted as “from … beginning”

In this reading “This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.”

6,368 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conversingverbUS /kənˈvɜːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “converse” — carry on a conversation

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DaughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
denotedverbUS /dɪˈnoʊtəd/

past form of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firmamentnoun

the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handiworknounUS /ˈhændiwɜːrk/

a work produced by hand labor

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heavensnounUS /ˈhevənz/

the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItalicnounUS /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

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 BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
labornounUS /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MARYnounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MERSHON

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

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Pending verification
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nellie

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

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading PREFACE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PROCTORnounUS /ˈprɑːktər/

someone who supervises (an examination)

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PsalmsnounUS /sɑːlmz/

an Old Testament book consisting of a collection of 150 Psalms

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RAHWAY

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

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Pending verification
Richard

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

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Pending verification
SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sheweth

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

From this reading The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.--Psalms.

Pending verification
textnounUS /tekst/

the words of something written

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

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 BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UnounUS /juː/

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading BY MARY PROCTOR (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
underscoresnounUS /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and Nellie.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of Stories of Starland by Mary Proctor holds 468 sentences, grouped into 94 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 of Starland contain?

Chapter 1 holds 468 sentences of Stories of Starland, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Stories of Starland by Mary Proctor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 468 sentences, grouped into 94 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 of Starland?

Work through the 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 94 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 of Starland

Common questions about reading Stories of Starland by Mary Proctor on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Stories of Starland?

Yes. All 1456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54913 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Stories of Starland is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54913, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Stories of Starland take to read?

About 121 minutes of reading across 292 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Stories of Starland section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Stories of Starland 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 of Starland

Words and structures a reader meets early in Stories of Starland, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories of Starland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Denoted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories of Starland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories of Starland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Proctor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories of Starland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.