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The Blue Moon
The Blue Moon

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Blue Moon is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Blue Moon
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.
With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.
And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.
So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.
Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.
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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 Blue Moon

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Blue Moon is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.
Line 2
With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.
Line 3
And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.
Line 4
So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.
/soʊ frʌm hɜːr end ʌv ðer ˈlɪtəl krɪb ʃiː kɪkt hɪm wɪð hɜːr ˈrɔɪəl ˈroʊzi toʊz ənd hiː frʌm hɪz kɪkt bæk ənd læft ənd ðʌs æz juː hiːr æt fɜːrst ˈblaɪndnəs ðeɪ fel hed ˈoʊvər ɪrz ɪn lʌv wɪð wʌn əˈnʌðər/
Line 5
Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.
/ˈnʌθɪŋ kʊd ənˈduː ðæt fɔːr deɪ baɪ deɪ ɜːrθ ənd sʌn ənd waɪnd keɪm tuː rʌb ɪt ɪn ˈdiːpər ənd ˈwɔːtər kʊd nɑːt wɑːʃ ɪt ɔːf/

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.

birthright noun US /ˈbɜːrθraɪt/

a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth

From this reading “And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.”

blindness noun US /ˈblaɪndnəs/

the state of being blind or lacking sight

From this reading “With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.”

cradle noun US /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading “With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.”

crib noun US /krɪb/

baby bed with high sides made of slats

From this reading “So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.”

parentage noun US /ˈperəntədʒ/

the state of being a parent

From this reading “And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.”

rub verb US /rʌb/

move over something with pressure

From this reading “Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.”

undo verb US /ənˈduː/

cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect

From this reading “Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.”

unimportant adjective US /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading “Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.”

All words in this reading · 107

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 With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

baby-beginnings

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

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

birthrightnounUS /ˈbɜːrθraɪt/

a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

blindnessnounUS /ˈblaɪndnəs/

the state of being blind or lacking sight

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

cradlenounUS /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

cribnounUS /krɪb/

baby bed with high sides made of slats

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

deeperadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

discoververbUS /dɪˈskʌvər/

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

gainedverbUS /ɡeɪnd/

past form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

HandsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

Hands-pansy

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

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

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 So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

hidingnounUS /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of keeping something secret

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

kickedverbUS /kɪkt/

past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

loversnounUS /ˈlʌvərz/

plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

Nillywill

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

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

other's

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

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

parentagenounUS /ˈperəntədʒ/

the state of being a parent

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

peasantnounUS /ˈpezənt/

a country person

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

povertynounUS /ˈpɑːvərti/

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

rosyadjectiveUS /ˈroʊzi/

reflecting optimism

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

rubverbUS /rʌb/

move over something with pressure

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

toesnounUS /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

tumbledverbUS /ˈtʌmbəld/

past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

undoverbUS /ənˈduː/

cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

unimportantadjectiveUS /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And Hands-pansy, when he first saw her, did not discover that Nillywill was a real princess hiding her birthright in the home of a poor peasant; nor did Nillywill, when she first saw Hands, see in him the baby-beginnings of the most honest and good heart that ever sprang out of poverty and humble parentage.

washverbUS /wɑːʃ/

clean with some chemical process

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Nothing could undo that; for day by day earth and sun and wind came to rub it in deeper, and water could not wash it off.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With them it had been a case of love at first blindness since the day when they had tumbled into each other’s arms in the same cradle.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Nillywill and Hands-pansy were the most unimportant and happy pair of lovers the world has ever gained or lost.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading So from her end of their little crib she kicked him with her royal rosy toes, and he from his kicked back and laughed: and thus, as you hear, at first blindness they fell head over ears in love with one another.

Chapter 1 of The Blue Moon by Laurence Housman holds 421 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Blue Moon contain?

Chapter 1 holds 421 sentences of The Blue Moon, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Blue Moon by Laurence Housman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Blue Moon?

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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Blue Moon

Common questions about reading The Blue Moon by Laurence Housman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Blue Moon?

Yes. All 1261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3527 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Blue Moon is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3527, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Blue Moon take to read?

About 105 minutes of reading across 253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Blue Moon section by section

How to work through The Blue Moon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Blue Moon 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 Blue Moon

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Blue Moon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nillywill
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Moon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hands-pansy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Moon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unimportant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Moon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Moon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.