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The Battle of the Strong — Complete
The Battle of the Strong — Complete

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.
But why should they not be?
People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.
Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?
In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Battle of the Strong — Complete

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.
Line 2
But why should they not be?
/bʌt waɪ ʃʊd ðeɪ nɑːt biː/
Line 3
People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.
Line 4
Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?
Line 5
In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

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.

apprentice noun US /əˈprentəs/

works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading “In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.”

Burying noun US /ˈberiɪŋ/

concealing something under the ground

From this reading “Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?”

coffins noun US /ˈkɔːfɪnz/

plural of “coffin” — box in which a corpse is buried or cremated

From this reading “In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.”

discreetly adverb US /dɪˈskriːtli/

with discretion; prudently and with wise self-restraint

From this reading “Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?”

stereotyped adjective US /ˈsteriətaɪpt/

lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality

From this reading “In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.”

trudge verb US /trʌdʒ/

walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

From this reading “In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.”

undertaker noun US /ˈʌndərteɪkər/

one whose business is the management of funerals

From this reading “In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.”

wearisome adjective US /ˈwɪrisəm/

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

From this reading “In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

apprenticenounUS /əˈprentəs/

works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But why should they not be?

buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/

placed in a grave

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

BuryingnounUS /ˈberiɪŋ/

concealing something under the ground

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But why should they not be?

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

cheerfuladjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

coffinsnounUS /ˈkɔːfɪnz/

plural of “coffin” — box in which a corpse is buried or cremated

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

d'Driere

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

discreetlyadverbUS /dɪˈskriːtli/

with discretion; prudently and with wise self-restraint

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

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 In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But why should they not be?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

one's

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

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

plaster-of-paris

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

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

quoth

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

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

RuenounUS /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading But why should they not be?

stereotypedadjectiveUS /ˈsteriətaɪpt/

lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

sympatheticadjectiveUS /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/

of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading But why should they not be?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

tradenounUS /treɪd/

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

trudgeverbUS /trʌdʒ/

walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

undertakernounUS /ˈʌndərteɪkər/

one whose business is the management of funerals

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

undertakingnounUS /ˈʌndərteɪkɪŋ/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

wearisomeadjectiveUS /ˈwɪrisəm/

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were right merry.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading People had to die, quoth the undertaker, and when dead they must be buried.

whereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading Burying was a trade, and wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade?

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading But why should they not be?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week, and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris.

Chapter 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete by Gilbert Parker holds 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete contain?

Chapter 24 holds 278 sentences of The Battle of the Strong — Complete, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 24 of The Battle of the Strong — Complete?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Battle of the Strong — Complete

Common questions about reading The Battle of the Strong — Complete by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Battle of the Strong — Complete?

Yes. All 7219 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6236 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Battle of the Strong — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6236, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Battle of the Strong — Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1444 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Battle of the Strong — Complete section by section

How to work through The Battle of the Strong — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Battle of the Strong — Complete 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 Battle of the Strong — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Battle of the Strong — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Strong — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Coast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Strong — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jersey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Strong — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Treacherous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Strong — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.