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Tales of the Birds
Tales of the Birds

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Tales of the Birds is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/101 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.
He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.
Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!
It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.
The ducks were very gracious to Jubilee.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tales of the Birds

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Tales of the Birds is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/101 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.
/ðə ˈrɔɪəl ˈfæməliz ˈbiːɪŋ baɪ ðɪs taɪm ɡɔːn aʊt ʌv taʊn ɪt wɑːz nɑːt ˈpɑːsəbəl tuː hæv hɪm priˈzentɪd æt kɔːrt soʊ ðə ˈfɑːðər ˈsperoʊ wɑːz əˈblaɪdʒd tuː biː ˈkɑːntent wɪð ˈteɪkɪŋ hɪm tuː ðə ˈwɔːtər ɪn ðə pɑːrk tuː ˌɪntrəˈduːs hɪm tuː ðə dʌks/
Line 2
He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.
/hiː dɪd ˌɪnˈdiːd drɑːp ə hɪnt ɔːr tuː əˈbaʊt ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː ˈwɪnzər ˈkæsəl wen ˈdʒuːbəliː ʃʊd biː strɔːŋ ɪˈnʌf bʌt hiː hæd ˈnevər bɪn soʊ fɑːr hɪmˈself ənd hæd sʌm daʊts ɪn hɪz oʊn maɪnd æz tuː hɪz rɪˈsepʃən baɪ ðə ˈraɪvəl ˈsperoʊz ʌv ðæt ˈrɔɪəl ˈrezɪdəns/
Line 3
Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!
/səˈpoʊzɪŋ ðeɪ hæd prəˈduːst ə ˈdʒuːbəliː ˈsperoʊ ðer tuː/
Line 4
It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.
Line 5
The ducks were very gracious to Jubilee.
/ðə dʌks wɜːr ˈveri ˈɡreɪʃəs tuː ˈdʒuːbəliː/

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.

ducks noun US /dʌks/

plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

From this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

introduce verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːs/

cause to come to know personally

From this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

Jubilee noun US /ˈdʒuːbəliː/

a special anniversary (or the celebration of it)

From this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

sparrow noun US /ˈsperoʊ/

any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

sparrows noun US /ˈsperoʊz/

plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

Supposing verb US /səˈpoʊzɪŋ/

-ing form of “suppose” — express a supposition

From this reading “Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!”

Windsor noun US /ˈwɪnzər/

a city in southeastern Ontario on the Detroit River opposite Detroit

From this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

wiser adjective US /ˈwaɪzər/

comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading “It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.”

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.

royal residence adjective + noun

In this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

royal families adjective + noun counted as “royal family”

royal persons collectively

In this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

strong enough adjective + noun

In this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

drop a hint verb + article + noun counted as “drop … hint”

In this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

own mind verb + noun

In this reading “He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.”

in the park preposition + article + noun counted as “in … park”

In this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

at court preposition + noun

In this reading “The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.”

All words in this reading · 81

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 He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

a-field

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

From this reading It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

doubtsnounUS /daʊts/

plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

ducksnounUS /dʌks/

plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

familiesnounUS /ˈfæməliz/

plural of “family” — a social unit living together

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

graciousadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪʃəs/

characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit

From this reading The ducks were very gracious to Jubilee.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

hintnounUS /hɪnt/

an indirect suggestion

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

introduceverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːs/

cause to come to know personally

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

JubileenounUS /ˈdʒuːbəliː/

a special anniversary (or the celebration of it)

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

obligedadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒd/

under a moral obligation to do something

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

parknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

presentedverbUS /priˈzentɪd/

past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!

receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

sparrownounUS /ˈsperoʊ/

any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

sparrowsnounUS /ˈsperoʊz/

plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

SupposingverbUS /səˈpoʊzɪŋ/

-ing form of “suppose” — express a supposition

From this reading Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Supposing they had produced a Jubilee sparrow there too!

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The ducks were very gracious to Jubilee.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The ducks were very gracious to Jubilee.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

WindsornounUS /ˈwɪnzər/

a city in southeastern Ontario on the Detroit River opposite Detroit

From this reading He did indeed drop a hint or two about going to Windsor Castle when Jubilee should be strong enough; but he had never been so far himself, and had some doubts in his own mind as to his reception by the rival sparrows of that royal residence.

wiseradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzər/

comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading It might be wiser not to go so far a-field.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The royal families being by this time gone out of town, it was not possible to have him presented at court; so the father sparrow was obliged to be content with taking him to the water in the park, to introduce him to the ducks.

Chapter 2 of Tales of the Birds by W. Warde (William Warde) Fowler holds 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 2 of Tales of the Birds contain?

Chapter 2 holds 509 sentences of Tales of the Birds, unabridged, divided into 102 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Tales of the Birds by W. Warde (William Warde) Fowler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 2 of Tales of the Birds?

Work through the 102 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 102 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Tales of the Birds

Common questions about reading Tales of the Birds by W. Warde (William Warde) Fowler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tales of the Birds?

Yes. All 1989 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49780 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tales of the Birds is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49780, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tales of the Birds take to read?

About 165 minutes of reading across 398 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tales of the Birds section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Tales of the Birds 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 the Birds

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Birds; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Birds; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Herodotus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Birds; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Richard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Birds; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.