Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Autobiography of a Slander
The Autobiography of a Slander

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Autobiography of a Slander
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.
_Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.
Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.
We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.
_Recreation_.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Autobiography of a Slander

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.
Line 2
_Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.
/trʌst nɑːt tuː iːtʃ əˈkjuːzɪŋ tʌŋ æz moʊst wiːk ˈpɜːrsənz duː bʌt stɪl bɪˈliːv ðæt ˈstɔːri fɔːls wɪtʃ ɔːt nɑːt tuː biː truː æt læst ðə tiː keɪm ʌp ənd soʊ wɪð ðæt ˈaʊər tʌŋz bɪˈɡæn tuː ɡoʊ/
Line 3
Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.
Line 4
We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.
/wiː faɪnd ɪt ðer ðə ˈwaɪzəst weɪ tuː teɪk sʌm ker ʌv wʌt wiː seɪ/
Line 5
_Recreation_.
/ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/

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.

accusing adjective US /əˈkjuːzɪŋ/

containing or expressing accusation

From this reading “_Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.”

author noun US /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.”

errant adjective US /ˈerənt/

straying from the right course or from accepted standards

From this reading “AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.”

Recreation noun US /ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/

an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

scrap noun US /skræp/

a small fragment of something broken off from the whole

From this reading “Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.”

smallest adjective US /ˈsmɔːləst/

superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.”

tongues noun US /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading “_Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.”

wisest adjective US /ˈwaɪzəst/

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

From this reading “We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

accusingadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːzɪŋ/

containing or expressing accusation

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

DAYSnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

DONOVAN

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

ERRANTadjectiveUS /ˈerənt/

straying from the right course or from accepted standards

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

GOLDENadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

KNIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

knowingadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊɪŋ/

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

RecreationnounUS /ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/

an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

From this reading _Recreation_.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

scrapnounUS /skræp/

a small fragment of something broken off from the whole

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

smallestadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːləst/

superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

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 _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

that's

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

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

TrustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

TWOnounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

WEpronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading AUTHOR OF 'DONOVAN' 'WE TWO' 'IN THE GOLDEN DAYS' 'KNIGHT ERRANT' ETC.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

wisestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzəst/

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

From this reading We find it there the wisest way To take some care of what we say.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _Trust not to each accusing tongue_, _As most week persons do_; _But still believe that story false_ _Which ought not to be true_ At last the tea came up, and so With that our tongues began to go.

you're

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

From this reading Now in that house you're sure of knowing The smallest scrap of news that's going.

Chapter 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander by Edna Lyall holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander contain?

Chapter 1 holds 167 sentences of The Autobiography of a Slander, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander by Edna Lyall exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 1 of The Autobiography of a Slander?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 The Autobiography of a Slander

Common questions about reading The Autobiography of a Slander by Edna Lyall on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Autobiography of a Slander?

Yes. All 681 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1273 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Autobiography of a Slander is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1273, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Autobiography of a Slander take to read?

About 56 minutes of reading across 137 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Autobiography of a Slander section by section

How to work through The Autobiography of a Slander section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Autobiography of a Slander 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 The Autobiography of a Slander

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Autobiography of a Slander, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autobiography of a Slander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Donovan'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autobiography of a Slander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Golden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autobiography of a Slander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Days'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autobiography of a Slander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.