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Strange Stories of Colonial Days
Strange Stories of Colonial Days

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.
There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.
“‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.
If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.
Go.
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.

Strange Stories of Colonial Days

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.
/wiː hæv ˈʌðər lændz teɪk ðem bʌt liːv ðə ˈvɪlədʒ ʌv waɪt ˈæpəl tuː ðə ˈnætʃez/
Line 2
There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.
/ðer ɪz ˈaʊər ˈtempəl ðer ðə boʊnz ʌv ˈaʊər ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz hæv slept sɪns wiː keɪm tuː ðə bæŋks ʌv ðə ˈfɑːðər ʌv ˈwɔːtərz ˈpliːdɪd bɪɡ ˈsɜːrpənt/
Line 3
“‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.
/wɪˈðɪn ðə nekst muːn kʌmz ðə ˈɡæli frʌm ðə bɪɡ ˈvɪlədʒ ʌv ðə frentʃ/
Line 4
If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.
/ɪf waɪt ˈæpəl ɪz nɑːt ðen dɪˈlɪvərd tuː maɪ ˈsoʊldʒərz ənd jɔːr ˈpiːpəl ɡɔːn ðə ɡreɪt tʃiːf ʌv ðə ˈnætʃez wɪl biː sent daʊn ðə ˈrɪvər baʊnd hænd ənd fʊt tuː rɑːt ɪn ˈprɪzən/
Line 5
Go.
/ɡoʊ/

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.

Apple noun US /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading ““‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.”

forefathers noun US /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/

plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family

From this reading “There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.”

galley noun US /ˈɡæli/

a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading

From this reading ““‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.”

lands noun US /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading ““‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.”

Natchez noun US /ˈnætʃez/

a town in southwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River

From this reading ““‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.”

pleaded verb US /ˈpliːdɪd/

past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly

From this reading “There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.”

rot noun US /rɑːt/

a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor

From this reading “If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.”

Serpent noun US /ˈsɜːrpənt/

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading “There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.”

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.

great chief adjective + noun

In this reading “If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.”

in prison preposition + noun

In this reading “If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.”

bound hand adjective + noun

In this reading “If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

ApplenounUS /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

banksnounUS /bæŋks/

English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

BigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

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

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

bonesnounUS /boʊnz/

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

deliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

forefathersnounUS /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/

plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

galleynounUS /ˈɡæli/

a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Go.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

landsnounUS /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

NatcheznounUS /ˈnætʃez/

a town in southwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

pleadedverbUS /ˈpliːdɪd/

past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

rotnounUS /rɑːt/

a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

SerpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

sleptverbUS /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

templenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

WatersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading There is our temple, there the bones of our forefathers have slept since we came to the banks of the Father of Waters,’ pleaded Big Serpent.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading “‘We have other lands; take them, but leave the village of White Apple to the Natchez.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

WithinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “‘Within the next moon comes the galley from the big village of the French.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If White Apple is not then delivered to my soldiers, and your people gone, the great chief of the Natchez will be sent down the river, bound hand and foot, to rot in prison.

Chapter 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days by Various holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days contain?

Chapter 4 holds 449 sentences of Strange Stories of Colonial Days, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 4 of Strange Stories of Colonial Days?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Strange Stories of Colonial Days

Common questions about reading Strange Stories of Colonial Days by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Strange Stories of Colonial Days?

Yes. All 1758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34536 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Strange Stories of Colonial Days is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34536, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Strange Stories of Colonial Days take to read?

About 146 minutes of reading across 352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Strange Stories of Colonial Days

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

Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Strange Stories of Colonial Days; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
These
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Strange Stories of Colonial Days; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pictures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Strange Stories of Colonial Days; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Colonial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Strange Stories of Colonial Days; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.