Chapter 1 of The Changeling is here in full — 390 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Changeling is here in full — 390 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE. Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s. 6d. each. READY MONEY MORTIBOY.
Chapter 1 of The Changeling is here in full — 390 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.”
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.”
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.”
grains used as food either unpolished or more often polished
From this reading “NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.”
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.
money in the form of cash that is readily available
In this reading “READY MONEY MORTIBOY.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading READY MONEY MORTIBOY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading READY MONEY MORTIBOY.
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., boards, 2s. each; cloth, 2s.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading READY MONEY MORTIBOY.
grains used as food either unpolished or more often polished
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
term of address for a man
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading NOVELS BY SIR WALTER BESANT & JAMES RICE.
Chapter 1 of The Changeling by Walter Besant holds 390 sentences, grouped into 78 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 1 holds 390 sentences of The Changeling, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Changeling by Walter Besant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 390 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Changeling by Walter Besant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7114 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49035 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49035, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 592 minutes of reading across 1423 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Changeling section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Changeling 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 Changeling, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
