The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter is here in full — 585 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Padraic Colum • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

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Before that I had no name.

In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter III Reading 1/117

The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter Padraic Colum

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter is here in full — 585 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER I. HOW THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER WENT TOWARD HER FORTUNE I am called Bird-of-Gold (said the girl, beginning her story), but that name did not belong to me until I was a girl grown. Before that I had no name. In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.” My father was the poorest of all the men of that town. He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter is here in full — 585 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/117 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Before that I had no name.

/bɪˈfɔːr ðæt aɪ hæd noʊ neɪm/

Line 3

In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

Line 4

My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

/maɪ ˈfɑːðər wɑːz ðə ˈpuːrɪst ʌv ɔːl ðə men ʌv ðæt taʊn/

Line 5

He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

/hiː ˈɡæðərd ˈbræmbəlz ənd θɔːrnz ɪn ðə ˈwɪldərnəs ənd brɔːt ðem ɪn ə ˈbʌndəl tuː ðə hʌt wer wiː lɪvd/

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.

belong verb US /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading “THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER I. HOW THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER WENT TOWARD HER FORTUNE I am called Bird-of-Gold (said the girl, beginning her story), but that name did not belong to me until I was a girl grown.”

bramble noun US /ˈbræmbəl/

any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines

brambles noun US /ˈbræmbəlz/

plural of “bramble” — any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines

From this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

bundle noun US /ˈbʌndəl/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

hut noun US /hʌt/

temporary military shelter

From this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

poorest adjective US /ˈpuːrɪst/

superlative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.”

thorns noun US /θɔːrnz/

plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance

From this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

wilderness noun US /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

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.

in the wilderness preposition + article + noun counted as “in … wilderness”

In this reading “He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.”

In the city preposition + article + noun counted as “in … city”

In this reading “In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.””

All words in this reading · 59

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 THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER I. HOW THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER WENT TOWARD HER FORTUNE I am called Bird-of-Gold (said the girl, beginning her story), but that name did not belong to me until I was a girl grown.

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 My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before that I had no name.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

BIRD-OF-GOLD

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

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

BRAMBLEnounUS /ˈbræmbəl/

any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines

bramblesnounUS /ˈbræmbəlz/

plural of “bramble” — any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

DAUGHTERnounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

FORTUNEnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

GATHERER'S

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

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Before that I had no name.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

HOW

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

hutnounUS /hʌt/

temporary military shelter

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Before that I had no name.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

poorestadjectiveUS /ˈpuːrɪst/

superlative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity

From this reading My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

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

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

thornsnounUS /θɔːrnz/

plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

TOWARDprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading My father was the poorest of all the men of that town.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

WENTverbUS /went/

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

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s child.”

WHOpronounUS /huː/

which person or people

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading He gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the hut where we lived.

Chapter 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter by Padraic Colum holds 585 sentences, grouped into 117 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 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter contain?

Chapter 3 holds 585 sentences of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter, unabridged, divided into 117 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter by Padraic Colum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 585 sentences, grouped into 117 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 3 of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter?

Work through the 117 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 117 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

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Common questions about reading The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter by Padraic Colum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter?

Yes. All 1546 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53252 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #53252, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 128 minutes of reading across 310 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter III

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