Chapter 4 of The black drama is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The black drama is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired. I shook my head dubiously. My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog. "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?" "Probably because he was ordered to."
Chapter 4 of The black drama is here in full — 422 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.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading “"How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.”
in a questionable and dubious manner
From this reading “I shook my head dubiously.”
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
From this reading “"How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.”
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
From this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
easily agitated
From this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
the topmost one of two
From this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
for the reason that
From this reading "Probably because he was ordered to."
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
in a questionable and dubious manner
From this reading I shook my head dubiously.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading I shook my head dubiously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I shook my head dubiously.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I shook my head dubiously.
easily agitated
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading "Probably because he was ordered to."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading "Probably because he was ordered to."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading I shook my head dubiously.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
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 "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
express in words
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Probably because he was ordered to."
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
the topmost one of two
From this reading My mustache prickled on my upper lip, like the mane of a nervous dog.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "If it was true," I said slowly, "how did Davidson dare tell it?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How did that cheerful little story impress you?" he inquired.
Chapter 4 of The black drama by Manly Wade Wellman holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 422 sentences of The black drama, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The black drama by Manly Wade Wellman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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 4 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 black drama by Manly Wade Wellman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The black drama section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The black drama 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 black drama, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
