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Tales of the Caliph
Tales of the Caliph

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Tales of the Caliph is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.
"I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.
But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."
THE STORY OF ABOU HASSAN, THE FORTUNATE MERCHANT.
When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tales of the Caliph

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Tales of the Caliph is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.
/ðʌs baɪ ðə wɪl ʌv ˈɑːlə wɑːz aɪ rəˈduːst tuː ðə ˈʌtmoʊst ˈpɑːvərti/
Line 2
"I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.
/aɪ meɪd maɪ weɪ bæk tuː ˈbæɡdæd ˈsloʊli ənd ˈsʌfərɪŋ mʌtʃ ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/
Line 3
But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."
Line 4
THE STORY OF ABOU HASSAN, THE FORTUNATE MERCHANT.
Line 5
When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

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.

Bagdad noun US /ˈbæɡdæd/

capital and largest city of Iraq; located on the Tigris River

From this reading “"I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.”

contrive verb US /kənˈtraɪv/

make or work out a plan for; devise

From this reading “But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."”

envy noun US /ˈenvi/

a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another

From this reading “But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."”

fellowship noun US /ˈfeloʊʃɪp/

an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

From this reading “But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."”

hardship noun US /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading “"I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.”

merchant noun US /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading “But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."”

reduced adjective US /rəˈduːst/

made less in size or amount or degree

From this reading “"Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.”

styled verb US /staɪld/

past form of “style” — designate by an identifying term

From this reading “But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."”

All words in this reading · 94

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 When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

Abou

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

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 When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

AllahnounUS /ˈɑːlə/

Muslim name for the one and only God

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

BagdadnounUS /ˈbæɡdæd/

capital and largest city of Iraq; located on the Tigris River

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

contriveverbUS /kənˈtraɪv/

make or work out a plan for; devise

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

envynounUS /ˈenvi/

a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

Essed

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

fellowshipnounUS /ˈfeloʊʃɪp/

an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

fortunateadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənət/

having unexpected good fortune

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/

that which is pleasing or valuable or useful

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

hardshipnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

Hassan

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

hostnounUS /hoʊst/

a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

how

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

lacknounUS /læk/

the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

munificentadjective

very generous

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

Murad

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

others

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

povertynounUS /ˈpɑːvərti/

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

reducedadjectiveUS /rəˈduːst/

made less in size or amount or degree

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

relationnounUS /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading THE STORY OF ABOU HASSAN, THE FORTUNATE MERCHANT.

styledverbUS /staɪld/

past form of “style” — designate by an identifying term

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/

a state of acute pain

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

thanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

unfortunateadjectiveUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənət/

not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

utmostadjectiveUS /ˈʌtmoʊst/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "I made my way back to Bagdad slowly and suffering much hardship.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Thus, by the will of Allah, was I reduced to the utmost poverty.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading But, thanks to the goodness of Allah, and to my friend Abou Hassan and some others, I lack neither good fellowship nor good living, and although I am styled the unfortunate merchant, I contrive to laugh and be merry in spite of fate, and shall listen with pleasure and without envy to the very different career of Abou Hassan, the fortunate merchant, and our munificent host."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When Murad Essed had finished speaking all eyes were fixed upon Abou Hassan, who said: "We have all listened with interest to the story of our friend Murad Essed, showing how a rich man may become poor; I have now in my turn to show you, by a relation of my own experience, how a poor man may become rich.

Chapter 3 of Tales of the Caliph by H. N. (Horatio Nelson) Crellin holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 3 of Tales of the Caliph contain?

Chapter 3 holds 440 sentences of Tales of the Caliph, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Tales of the Caliph by H. N. (Horatio Nelson) Crellin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 3 of Tales of the Caliph?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Caliph

Common questions about reading Tales of the Caliph by H. N. (Horatio Nelson) Crellin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tales of the Caliph?

Yes. All 1783 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22258 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tales of the Caliph is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22258, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tales of the Caliph take to read?

About 148 minutes of reading across 357 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tales of the Caliph section by section

How to work through Tales of the Caliph 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 Caliph 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 Caliph

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

Romances
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Caliph; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seraglio
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Caliph; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nazarenes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Caliph; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of the Caliph; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.