Chapter 13 of The Blue Star is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Blue Star is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast. “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before. “No, Demadé, I cannot. Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot. We had better go in now.”
Chapter 13 of The Blue Star is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
hold firmly and tightly
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
comparative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind
From this reading ““No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.”
becoming dark or darker as from waning light or clouding over
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
past form of “disengage” — release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
in a gradual manner
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
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 “Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.”
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 “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading We had better go in now.”
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, Demadé, I cannot.
hold firmly and tightly
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
comparative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
becoming dark or darker as from waning light or clouding over
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, Demadé, I cannot.
past form of “disengage” — release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We had better go in now.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had better go in now.”
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “No, Demadé, I cannot.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
not any; not one
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Perhaps for that reason, but I cannot.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “No,” she said in a voice clearer than before.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had better go in now.”
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Now her eyes opened wide on the first star, low in the darkening sky, and with one hand she gently disengaged his clasp from her breast.
Chapter 13 of The Blue Star by Fletcher Pratt holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 13 holds 403 sentences of The Blue Star, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Blue Star by Fletcher Pratt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 13 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 Star by Fletcher Pratt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5243 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56889 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56889, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 436 minutes of reading across 1049 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Star section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Blue Star 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 Star, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
