Chapter 2 of 'That Very Mab' is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of 'That Very Mab' is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DISILLUSIONS. 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.' 'Alice in Wonderland.' It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England. She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
Chapter 2 of 'That Very Mab' is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading “It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.”
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading “She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.”
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading “She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.”
a native or inhabitant of Polynesia
From this reading “She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.”
mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs
From this reading “She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.”
either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
From this reading “'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'”
a place or scene of great or strange beauty or wonder
From this reading “'Alice in Wonderland.'”
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Alice in Wonderland.'
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DISILLUSIONS.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'Alice in Wonderland.'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
not any; not one
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
a native or inhabitant of Polynesia
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
carry out
From this reading She had hired a seagull—no, the seagull offered his services for nothing; I was forgetting that it was not an English, but a Polynesian seagull—to take her across.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
From this reading 'The time is come,' the walrus said, 'To talk of many things.'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
a place or scene of great or strange beauty or wonder
From this reading 'Alice in Wonderland.'
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading It was on April 1, the green young year's beginning, that Mab arrived in England.
Chapter 2 of 'That Very Mab' by May Kendall holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 154 sentences of 'That Very Mab', unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of 'That Very Mab' by May Kendall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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.
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Yes. All 1539 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21337 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21337, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 128 minutes of reading across 308 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through 'That Very Mab' section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of 'That Very Mab' 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 'That Very Mab', each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
