Chapter 8 of Tales from a Rolltop Desk is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Tales from a Rolltop Desk is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I came up the last steps. “Pardon the vile pun,” I said. Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him. “Aren't you Morgan Edwards?” I asked.
Chapter 8 of Tales from a Rolltop Desk is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading ““Aren't you Morgan Edwards?””
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
From this reading ““Aren't you Morgan Edwards?””
accept an excuse for
From this reading ““Pardon the vile pun,” I said.”
a humorous play on words
From this reading ““Pardon the vile pun,” I said.”
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading “Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.”
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.”
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading “I came up the last steps.”
morally reprehensible
From this reading ““Pardon the vile pun,” I said.”
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.
bring forth, usually something desirable
In this reading “I came up the last steps.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Aren't you Morgan Edwards?”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I came up the last steps.
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading “Aren't you Morgan Edwards?”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I came up the last steps.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
immediately past
From this reading I came up the last steps.
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
From this reading “Aren't you Morgan Edwards?”
accept an excuse for
From this reading “Pardon the vile pun,” I said.
a humorous play on words
From this reading “Pardon the vile pun,” I said.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Pardon the vile pun,” I said.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading I came up the last steps.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I came up the last steps.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I came up the last steps.
morally reprehensible
From this reading “Pardon the vile pun,” I said.
in or at the place that
From this reading Then I knew where I had seen him before, and recognized him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Aren't you Morgan Edwards?”
Chapter 8 of Tales from a Rolltop Desk by Christopher Morley holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 8 holds 414 sentences of Tales from a Rolltop Desk, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Tales from a Rolltop Desk by Christopher Morley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading Tales from a Rolltop Desk by Christopher Morley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3615 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51957 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51957, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 301 minutes of reading across 723 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tales from a Rolltop Desk section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Tales from a Rolltop Desk to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales from a Rolltop Desk, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
