Chapter 1 of Tales of a Traveller is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tales of a Traveller is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence. _Cleanthes_. This is a monstrous lie. _Tony_. I do confess it.
Chapter 1 of Tales of a Traveller is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “I do confess it.”
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
possessive form of “in” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
an area in a town where a public mercantile establishment is set up
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
abnormally large
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
From this reading “I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.”
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 I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
ancient Greek philosopher who succeeded Zeno of Citium as the leader of the Stoic school (300-232 BC)
From this reading _Cleanthes_.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading I do confess it.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do confess it.
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
possessive form of “in” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is a monstrous lie.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I do confess it.
the literary culture
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading This is a monstrous lie.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
an area in a town where a public mercantile establishment is set up
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
abnormally large
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
express in words
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is a monstrous lie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Tony_.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I’ll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by’s side, a long sword, A pike in’s neck, and a gun in’s nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in’s mouth, from the Duke of Florence.
Chapter 1 of Tales of a Traveller by Washington Irving holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 1 holds 405 sentences of Tales of a Traveller, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tales of a Traveller by Washington Irving exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 1 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 of a Traveller by Washington Irving on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4965 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13514 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13514, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 413 minutes of reading across 993 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tales of a Traveller section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Tales of a Traveller 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 of a Traveller, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
