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Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek
Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.
First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.
To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.
This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.
Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.
Line 2
First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.
Line 3
To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.
Line 4
This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.
Line 5
Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

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.

anklets noun US /ˈæŋkləts/

a sock that reaches just above the ankle

From this reading “Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.”

beads noun US /biːdz/

several beads threaded together on a string

From this reading “Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.”

grease noun US /ɡriːs/

a thick fatty oil (especially one used to lubricate machinery)

From this reading “To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.”

juice noun US /dʒuːs/

the liquid part that can be extracted from plant or animal tissue by squeezing or cooking

From this reading “This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.”

powdered adjective US /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading “To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.”

sandals noun US /ˈsændəlz/

plural of “sandal” — a shoe consisting of a sole fastened by straps to the foot

From this reading “Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.”

smeared verb US /smɪrd/

past form of “smear” — stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance

From this reading “This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.”

soles noun US /soʊlz/

plural of “sol” — a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading “This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.”

All words in this reading · 101

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 First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

ankletsnounUS /ˈæŋkləts/

a sock that reaches just above the ankle

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

beadsnounUS /biːdz/

several beads threaded together on a string

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/

bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

colouradjectiveUS /ˈkʌlər/

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

coppernounUS /ˈkɑːpər/

a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/

(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

daylightnounUS /ˈdeɪlaɪt/

the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

disguisenounUS /dɪsˈɡaɪz/

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

FAREWELLnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

greasenounUS /ɡriːs/

a thick fatty oil (especially one used to lubricate machinery)

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

hideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

inchnounUS /ɪntʃ/

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

ink-like

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

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

juicenounUS /dʒuːs/

the liquid part that can be extracted from plant or animal tissue by squeezing or cooking

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

Kaffirnoun

important for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

knifenounUS /naɪf/

edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

moocha

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

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

nativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɪtɪv/

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

NextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

sandalsnounUS /ˈsændəlz/

plural of “sandal” — a shoe consisting of a sole fastened by straps to the foot

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

Sihamba

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

SIHAMBA'S

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

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

skinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

smearedverbUS /smɪrd/

past form of “smear” — stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

solesnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “sol” — a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

Suzanne's

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

wearverbUS /wer/

be dressed in

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading This done, the poor girl stripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juice mixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made her the colour of a Kaffir.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

wirenounUS /ˈwaɪər/

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne’s beautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curled naturally.

woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman’s moocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wear upon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with anklets of beads and copper wire.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was too fine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powdered it with the blue dust that Kaffir women use.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading SIHAMBA’S FAREWELL Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylight came.

Chapter 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek contain?

Chapter 31 holds 103 sentences of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 31 of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

Common questions about reading Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek?

Yes. All 3870 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4074 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4074, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek take to read?

About 322 minutes of reading across 774 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek section by section

How to work through Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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

Vocabulary met early in Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

Words and structures a reader meets early in Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vrouw
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.