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The Blockade of Phalsburg
The Blockade of Phalsburg

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg is here in full — 453 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Blockade of Phalsburg
Context Illustration Reading 1/90 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"And art thou not my child too?" said I.
"I do not want you all to die!"
Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.
Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.
At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.
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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 Blockade of Phalsburg

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg is here in full — 453 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/90 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"And art thou not my child too?" said I.
/ənd ɑːrt ðaʊ nɑːt maɪ tʃaɪld tuː sed aɪ/
Line 2
"I do not want you all to die!"
/aɪ duː nɑːt wɑːnt juː ɔːl tuː daɪ/
Line 3
Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.
/ðen aɪ bɜːrst ˈɪntuː terz ənd fel ˈɪntuː maɪ tʃer ˈlʊkɪŋ streɪt bɪˈfɔːr miː maɪ streŋkθ ɔːl ɡɔːn aɪ wɑːz ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd wɪð ɡriːf/
Line 4
Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.
Line 5
At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.
/æt ðæt taɪm mʌsk wɑːz ðə ˈremədi fɔːr ˈtaɪfəs ðə haʊs wɑːz fʊl ʌv mʌsk/

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.

cared verb US /kerd/

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading “Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.”

everybody pronoun US /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading “Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.”

exhausted adjective US /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/

drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted

From this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

grief noun US /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

musk noun US /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading “At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.”

prepared adjective US /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading “Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.”

remedy noun US /ˈremədi/

act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil

From this reading “At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.”

typhus noun US /ˈtaɪfəs/

rickettsial disease transmitted by body lice and characterized by skin rash and high fever

From this reading “At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

burst into verb + particle

In this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

fell into verb + particle

In this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

into tears preposition + noun

In this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

with grief preposition + noun

In this reading “Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

caredverbUS /kerd/

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

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

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

exhaustedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/

drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

firm-closed

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

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

musknounUS /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

remedynounUS /ˈremədi/

act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

Sorle

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

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "And art thou not my child too?" said I.

typhusnounUS /ˈtaɪfəs/

rickettsial disease transmitted by body lice and characterized by skin rash and high fever

From this reading At that time musk was the remedy for typhus; the house was full of musk.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Sorle came and went, with firm-closed lips; she prepared everything, and cared for everybody.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then I burst into tears, and fell into my chair, looking straight before me, my strength all gone; I was exhausted with grief.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I do not want you all to die!"

Chapter 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg by Erckmann-Chatrian holds 453 sentences, grouped into 91 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.

What does chapter 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg contain?

Chapter 8 holds 453 sentences of The Blockade of Phalsburg, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg by Erckmann-Chatrian exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 453 sentences, grouped into 91 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 8 of The Blockade of Phalsburg?

Work through the 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 91 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Blockade of Phalsburg

Common questions about reading The Blockade of Phalsburg by Erckmann-Chatrian on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Blockade of Phalsburg?

Yes. All 3558 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Blockade of Phalsburg is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Blockade of Phalsburg take to read?

About 296 minutes of reading across 712 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Blockade of Phalsburg section by section

How to work through The Blockade of Phalsburg section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Blockade of Phalsburg 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 Blockade of Phalsburg

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

Cemetery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blockade of Phalsburg; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frontispiece
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blockade of Phalsburg; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sergeant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blockade of Phalsburg; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shuddered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blockade of Phalsburg; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.