Chapter 2 of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Perkins. Then you needn't be afraid, my dear. I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling. (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last. I'll go and get my coat.
Chapter 2 of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.”
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “(The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.”
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading “(The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.”
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading “I'll go and get my coat.”
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading “I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.”
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading “(The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.”
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading “I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.”
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading “I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.”
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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'll go and get my coat.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading I'll go and get my coat.
dearly loved
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I'll go and get my coat.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I'll go and get my coat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll go and get my coat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
immediately past
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perkins.
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
in or at that place or location
From this reading (The front-door bell rings.) Ah, there is the carriage at last.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading I'm too fond of you to sacrifice you to my love for whistling.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then you needn't be afraid, my dear.
Chapter 2 of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces by John Kendrick Bangs holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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.
Chapter 2 holds 423 sentences of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces by John Kendrick Bangs exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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.
Common questions about reading The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces by John Kendrick Bangs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2946 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11759 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11759, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 245 minutes of reading across 590 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces 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 The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
