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Tales from the Telling-House
Tales from the Telling-House

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Tales from the Telling-House is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tales from the Telling-House
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.
Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.
But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.
Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.
So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.
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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.

Tales from the Telling-House

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Tales from the Telling-House is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.
/ə ˈkɑːtədʒ ˈhɑːspɪtəl/
Line 2
Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.
Line 3
But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.
Line 4
Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.
/mɔːˈroʊvər hiː hæd siːn ə ɡʊd diːl ʌv ˈfaɪtɪŋ nɑːt əˈmʌŋ ˈaʊtlɔːz bʌt faɪn ˈsoʊldʒərz wel skɪld ɪn ðə ˈprɑːpər staɪl ʌv ɪt/
Line 5
So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

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.

cottage noun US /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading “A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.”

highly adverb US /ˈhaɪli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading “So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.”

hospital noun US /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading “A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.”

Moreover adverb US /mɔːˈroʊvər/

in addition to what has just been said

From this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

outlaws noun US /ˈaʊtlɔːz/

plural of “outlaw” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

skilled adjective US /skɪld/

having or showing or requiring special skill

From this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

style noun US /staɪl/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

superior adjective US /suːˈpɪriər/

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading “But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.”

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.

well skilled adverb + adjective

In this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.”

other men adjective + noun

In this reading “But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.”

deal of verb + particle

In this reading “Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.

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 But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

consideredadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərd/

carefully weighed

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

COTTAGEnounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

Doones

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

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

fightingnounUS /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

highlyadverbUS /ˈhaɪli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

HOSPITALnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading A COTTAGE HOSPITAL.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

MasternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

MoreoveradverbUS /mɔːˈroʊvər/

in addition to what has just been said

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

outlawsnounUS /ˈaʊtlɔːz/

plural of “outlaw” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

Pring

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

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

skilledadjectiveUS /skɪld/

having or showing or requiring special skill

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

stylenounUS /staɪl/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

superioradjectiveUS /suːˈpɪriər/

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading So that it was impossible for him to think very highly of the Doones.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Master Pring was not much of a man to talk.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Moreover, he had seen a good deal of fighting, not among outlaws, but fine soldiers well skilled in the proper style of it.

womankindnoun

women as distinguished from men

From this reading But for power of thought he was considered equal to any pair of other men, and superior of course to all womankind.

Chapter 4 of Tales from the Telling-House by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore holds 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 4 of Tales from the Telling-House contain?

Chapter 4 holds 80 sentences of Tales from the Telling-House, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Tales from the Telling-House by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 4 of Tales from the Telling-House?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Tales from the Telling-House

Common questions about reading Tales from the Telling-House by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tales from the Telling-House?

Yes. All 1627 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51497 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tales from the Telling-House is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51497, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tales from the Telling-House take to read?

About 135 minutes of reading across 326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tales from the Telling-House section by section

How to work through Tales from the Telling-House section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Tales from the Telling-House to begin.

  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 Tales from the Telling-House

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales from the Telling-House, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Telling-House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sometimes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Telling-House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Telling-House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spirit
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Telling-House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.