Chapter 9 of Tales from Gorky is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Tales from Gorky is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty. You are your own master. You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own. You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours. You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.
Chapter 9 of Tales from Gorky is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading “You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.”
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading “You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.”
a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny
From this reading “You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.”
a small number or amount
From this reading “You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.”
an itchy skin eruption characterized by weals with pale interiors and well-defined red margins; usually the result of an allergic response to insect bites or food or drugs
From this reading “You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.”
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading “"The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.”
being nothing more than specified
From this reading “You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.”
a country person
From this reading “"The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.”
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.
In this reading “You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.”
In this reading “You are your own master.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You are your own master.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
a person who is in charge
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.
a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
a small number or amount
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
an itchy skin eruption characterized by weals with pale interiors and well-defined red margins; usually the result of an allergic response to insect bites or food or drugs
From this reading You have your own hives, your own eggs, your own apples.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading You are your own master.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
not any; not one
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading You are your own master.
a country person
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
by chance
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
not in physical motion
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
a special situation
From this reading "The chief thing in the life of the peasant, my friend, is liberty.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading You have your house--not worth a farthing, perhaps--but still it is your own.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You are your own master.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You are your own master.
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading You have your land--a mere handful, no doubt--still it is yours.
Chapter 9 of Tales from Gorky by Maksim Gorky holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 9 holds 400 sentences of Tales from Gorky, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Tales from Gorky by Maksim Gorky exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 9 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 Gorky by Maksim Gorky on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4267 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56870 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56870, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 355 minutes of reading across 854 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tales from Gorky section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Tales from Gorky 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 Gorky, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
