Chapter 10 of The Claw is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Claw is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN. PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED. "Life has always poppies in her hands." "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here." She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
Chapter 10 of The Claw is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a native or inhabitant of Australia
From this reading “PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.”
paper with a crinkled texture; usually colored and used for decorations
From this reading “She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.”
a relatively long dagger with a straight blade
From this reading “She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.”
plural of “drapery” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading “She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.”
plural of “poppy” — annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers
From this reading “"Life has always poppies in her hands."”
the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe
From this reading “"Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."”
sparsely covered with stunted trees or vegetation and underbrush
From this reading “She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.”
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading “She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.”
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 “"Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."”
In this reading “"Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."”
In this reading “"Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."”
In this reading “"Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."”
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 She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
past form of “achieve” — to gain with effort
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
a native or inhabitant of Australia
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
paper with a crinkled texture; usually colored and used for decorations
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
a relatively long dagger with a straight blade
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
plural of “drapery” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
coins made of gold
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
plural of “poppy” — annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers
From this reading "Life has always poppies in her hands."
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
sparsely covered with stunted trees or vegetation and underbrush
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Salisbury lies behind that big brown hill," said Judy, "about an hour's drive from here."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
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 She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading PART TWO--WHAT AUSTRALIAN GOLD ACHIEVED.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She was perched with a certain daintiness upon Dirk Mackenzie's water _fykie_, sipping a cup of coffee, her back crepe draperies spread round her on the scrubby grass.
Chapter 10 of The Claw by Cynthia Stockley holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 10 holds 411 sentences of The Claw, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Claw by Cynthia Stockley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 10 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 Claw by Cynthia Stockley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5799 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37257 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37257, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 483 minutes of reading across 1160 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Claw section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Claw 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 Claw, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
