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Tales of Bengal
Tales of Bengal

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of Tales of Bengal is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A Roland for His Oliver.
Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.
He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.
By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.
2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.
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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 of Bengal

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of Tales of Bengal is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Roland for His Oliver.
Line 2
Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.
Line 3
He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.
/hiː wɑːz ˈkɑːntent wɪð ðə ˈsɜːrpləs ˈprɑːfɪts frʌm hɪz ˈlændəd ɪˈsteɪts wɪtʃ hiː dɪd nɑːt ˌɪnˈvest ɪn treɪd ɔːr ˈiːvɪn ˈɡʌvərmənt ˈpeɪpər bʌt ˈhɔːrdɪd ɪn ə seɪf/
Line 4
By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.
Line 5
2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

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.

amassed verb US /əˈmæst/

past form of “amass” — collect or gather

From this reading “By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.”

ambitions noun US /æmˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire

From this reading “Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.”

estates noun US /ɪˈsteɪts/

plural of “estate” — everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading “He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.”

hoarded verb US /ˈhɔːrdɪd/

past form of “hoard” — save up as for future use

From this reading “He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.”

invest verb US /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

From this reading “He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.”

loan noun US /loʊn/

the temporary provision of money (usually at interest)

From this reading “By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.”

profits noun US /ˈprɑːfɪts/

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading “He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.”

surplus noun US /ˈsɜːrpləs/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading “He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

2,000

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

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A Roland for His Oliver.

amassedverbUS /əˈmæst/

past form of “amass” — collect or gather

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

ambitionsnounUS /æmˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

degreesnounUS /dɪˈɡriːz/

plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

estatesnounUS /ɪˈsteɪts/

plural of “estate” — everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A Roland for His Oliver.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

GovernmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

grantedadjectiveUS /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading A Roland for His Oliver.

hoardedverbUS /ˈhɔːrdɪd/

past form of “hoard” — save up as for future use

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

impecuniosity

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

investverbUS /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

landedadjectiveUS /ˈlændəd/

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

loannounUS /loʊn/

the temporary provision of money (usually at interest)

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

Nagendra's

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

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

OlivernounUS /ˈɑːləvər/

United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)

From this reading A Roland for His Oliver.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

profitsnounUS /ˈprɑːfɪts/

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

readilyadverbUS /ˈredəli/

without much difficulty

From this reading 2,000, it was readily granted on a mere note of hand.

Roland

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

From this reading A Roland for His Oliver.

Rs

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

Samarendra's

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

surplusnounUS /ˈsɜːrpləs/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

tradenounUS /treɪd/

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Nagendra's soul was not haunted by any such ambitions.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading By slow degrees he amassed a small fortune, and when Samarendra's growing impecuniosity forced him to ask his brother for a loan of Rs.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was content with the surplus profits from his landed estates, which he did not invest in trade or even Government paper, but hoarded in a safe.

Chapter 11 of Tales of Bengal by S. B. Banerjea holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 11 of Tales of Bengal contain?

Chapter 11 holds 86 sentences of Tales of Bengal, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Tales of Bengal by S. B. Banerjea exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 11 of Tales of Bengal?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 of Bengal

Common questions about reading Tales of Bengal by S. B. Banerjea on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tales of Bengal?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tales of Bengal is used?

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

How long does Tales of Bengal take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tales of Bengal section by section

How to work through Tales of Bengal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Tales of Bengal 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 of Bengal

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales of Bengal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Tales of Bengal, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Tales of Bengal, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Tales of Bengal, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.