Chapter 2 of Tales of the Argonauts is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Tales of the Argonauts is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Hold up your head, and let me look at you! I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!” He recoiled more from her wild face than her words. He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever. He was no coward; but he would have fled.
Chapter 2 of Tales of the Argonauts is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
shining intensely
From this reading “He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.”
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading “He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.”
a person who shows fear or timidity
From this reading “He was no coward; but he would have fled.”
a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
From this reading “He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.”
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading “He was no coward; but he would have fled.”
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading “He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.”
past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading “He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.”
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading “I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!””
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've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
shining intensely
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
a person who shows fear or timidity
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
apprehended with certainty
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
the force of workers available
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
not any; not one
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
and nothing more
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I've known only what men are: let me see what a traitor looks like!”
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He saw from the first that her hollow cheeks and hollow eyes were blazing with fever.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He recoiled more from her wild face than her words.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He was no coward; but he would have fled.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Hold up your head, and let me look at you!
Chapter 2 of Tales of the Argonauts by Bret Harte holds 391 sentences, grouped into 79 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 holds 391 sentences of Tales of the Argonauts, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Tales of the Argonauts by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 2 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 the Argonauts by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3107 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2886 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2886, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 622 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tales of the Argonauts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Tales of the Argonauts 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 the Argonauts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
