Chapter 18 of The Blue Goose is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Blue Goose is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct. It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject. Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other. If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside. This was decision.
Chapter 18 of The Blue Goose is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
be silly or tease one another
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
someone who creates new things
From this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
not often
From this reading “It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.”
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
past form of “winnow” — separate the chaff from grain by using air currents
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.
throw or cast away
In this reading “If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.”
In this reading “Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.”
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 _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
on or to one side
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
put or send forth
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
be silly or tease one another
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading This was decision.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
being the right size and shape to fit as desired
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
someone who creates new things
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
of or relating to the mythical giant Procrustes or the mode of torture practiced by him
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
not often
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was decision.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading Unlike the originator of the famous couch, Hartwell never troubled himself to stretch the one nor to trim the other.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If his subjects did not fit, they were cast aside.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was a Procrustean bed which rarely fitted its subject.
past form of “winnow” — separate the chaff from grain by using air currents
From this reading _Winnowed Chaff_ Hartwell had a rule of conduct.
Chapter 18 of The Blue Goose by Frank Lewis Nason holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 18 holds 212 sentences of The Blue Goose, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Blue Goose by Frank Lewis Nason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 18 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 Blue Goose by Frank Lewis Nason on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5159 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31485 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31485, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 429 minutes of reading across 1032 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Goose section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Blue Goose 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 Blue Goose, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
