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Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)
Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)

Chapter XV · Bruno’s Picnic

Chapter XV of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated), “Bruno’s Picnic,” is here in full — 366 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Lewis Carroll • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)
Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.
“Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”
“And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!
Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”
I asked.
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.

Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)

Chapter XV · Bruno’s Picnic

Chapter XV of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated), “Bruno’s Picnic,” is here in full — 366 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.
/æz bɔːld æz bɔːld wɑːz ðə bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ rɪˈplaɪ/
Line 2
“Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”
Line 3
“And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!
Line 4
Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”
Line 5
I asked.
/aɪ æskt/

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.

bald adjective US /bɔːld/

with no effort to conceal

From this reading ““As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bewildering verb US /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading ““As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bruno noun US /ˈbruːnoʊ/

German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading ““Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
happen verb US /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading “Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hurry noun US /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mouse noun US /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
start verb US /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tiny adjective US /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

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.

little Mouse adjective + noun

In this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

1,674 times in 225,867 chapters
great hurry adjective + noun

In this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

1,905 times in 225,867 chapters
fear of verb + particle

In this reading ““And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!”

40,173 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 44

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 “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading I asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
baldadjectiveUS /bɔːld/

with no effort to conceal

From this reading “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bewilderingverbUS /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BrunonounUS /ˈbruːnoʊ/

German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)

From this reading “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
I'll

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

From this reading “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MousenounUS /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
oo

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Pending verification
replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

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 “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Sylvie

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

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Pending verification
tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

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 “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Oo never saw such a tiny Mouse——” “Did nothing ever happen to it, Bruno?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “As bald as bald,” was the bewildering reply.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “And I’ll tell _oo_ a story,” said Bruno, beginning in a great hurry for fear of Sylvie getting the start of him: “once there were a Mouse—a little tiny Mouse—such a tiny little Mouse!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Now, Bruno, I’ll tell you a story.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) by Lewis Carroll holds 366 sentences, grouped into 74 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 15 of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) contain?

Chapter 15 holds 366 sentences of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated), unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) by Lewis Carroll exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 366 sentences, grouped into 74 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 15 of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)

Common questions about reading Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) by Lewis Carroll on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)?

Yes. All 4844 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48795 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48795, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) take to read?

About 403 minutes of reading across 969 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) section by section

How to work through Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Macmillan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Right
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Translation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (Illustrated); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.