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Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete
Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
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O ALTERED times!
O customs how depraved!
At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.
THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.
The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
O ALTERED times!
/oʊ ˈɔːltərd taɪmz/
Line 2
O customs how depraved!
Line 3
At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.
Line 4
THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.
Line 5
The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

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.

depraved adjective US /diˈpreɪvd/

deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good

From this reading “O customs how depraved!”

females noun US /ˈfiːmeɪlz/

plural of “female” — an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes

From this reading “THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.”

gan verb US /ɡæn/

inflected form of “gin” — separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin

From this reading “At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.”

lectured verb US /ˈlektʃərd/

past form of “lecture” — deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading “The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.”

nets noun US /nets/

plural of “net” — a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading “THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.”

pro noun US /proʊ/

an athlete who plays for pay

From this reading “THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.”

Quid noun US /kwɪd/

the basic unit of money in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; equal to 100 pence

From this reading “THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.”

sequel noun US /ˈsiːkwəl/

something that follows something else

From this reading “At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.”

All words in this reading · 89

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 At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

Alice

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

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 At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

ALTEREDadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/

changed in form or character without becoming something else

From this reading O ALTERED times!

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

behavedverbUS /bɪˈheɪvd/

past form of “behave” — behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

cavernnounUS /ˈkæv.ərn/

A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

contrivedadjectiveUS /kənˈtraɪvd/

showing effects of planning or manipulation

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

customsnounUS /ˈkʌstəmz/

money collected under a tariff

From this reading O customs how depraved!

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

depravedadjectiveUS /diˈpreɪvd/

deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good

From this reading O customs how depraved!

designedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪnd/

done or made or performed with purpose and intent

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

discreetadjectiveUS /dɪˈskriːt/

marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

femalesnounUS /ˈfiːmeɪlz/

plural of “female” — an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

foll'wing

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

frowardly

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

ganverbUS /ɡæn/

inflected form of “gin” — separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

how

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

From this reading O customs how depraved!

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

inclinedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪnd/

(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

lecturedverbUS /ˈlektʃərd/

past form of “lecture” — deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

leisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/

time available for ease and relaxation

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

ne'eradverbUS /ner/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

netsnounUS /nets/

plural of “net” — a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading O ALTERED times!

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

pleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/

giving pleasure and satisfaction

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

plotnounUS /plɑːt/

a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

pronounUS /proʊ/

an athlete who plays for pay

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

projectsnounUS /ˈprɑːdʒekts/

plural of “project” — any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

QuidnounUS /kwɪd/

the basic unit of money in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; equal to 100 pence

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

quo

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

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

remedynounUS /ˈremədi/

act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

sequelnounUS /ˈsiːkwəl/

something that follows something else

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

servant's

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

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

spreadverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading O ALTERED times!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

tricknounUS /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

tween

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

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

viewnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading At first fair Alice frowardly behaved; But in the sequel 'gan to change her way, And said, her mistress, as the foll'wing day, A certain remedy to take designed; That, in the morning then, if so inclined, They could at leisure in the cavern meet;-- The plan was pleasing: all appeared discreet.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading THE servant, having to her mistress said, What projects were in view: what nets were spread; The females, 'tween themselves, a plot contrived, Of Quid pro quo, against the hour arrived.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The husband of the trick was ne'er aware, So much the mistress had her servant's air; But if he had, what then? no harm of course; She might have lectured him with double force.

Chapter 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete by Jean de La Fontaine holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete contain?

Chapter 16 holds 184 sentences of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete by Jean de La Fontaine exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 16 of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #5300, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 235 minutes of reading across 566 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fontaine's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Joconde
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cudgelled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.