Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Country of the Dwarfs
The Country of the Dwarfs

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Paul B. (Paul Belloni) Du Chaillu • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Country of the Dwarfs
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.
AND MRS.
THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.
THE day of departure of the Mentor had come.
My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Country of the Dwarfs

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.
Line 2
AND MRS.
/ənd ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 3
THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.
Line 4
THE day of departure of the Mentor had come.
/ðə deɪ ʌv dɪˈpɑːrtʃər ʌv ðə ˈmentɔːr hæd kʌm/
Line 5
My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

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.

africa noun US /ˈæfrəkɑː/

the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chimpanzee noun US /tʃɪmˈpænzi/

intelligent somewhat arboreal ape of equatorial African forests

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
departure noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading “DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gorillas noun US /ɡərˈɪləz/

plural of “gorilla” — largest anthropoid ape; terrestrial and vegetarian; of forests of central west Africa

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mentor noun US /ˈmentɔːr/

a wise and trusted guide and advisor

From this reading “DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plateau noun US /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tornado noun US /tɔːrˈneɪdoʊ/

a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
traces noun US /ˈtreɪsəz/

plural of “trace” — a just detectable amount

From this reading “THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

good friend adjective + noun

In this reading “My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.”

13,976 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 42

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 THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AFRICAnounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/

the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ALONEadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Velmora curated lexicon
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AND MRS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHIMPANZEEnounUS /tʃɪmˈpænzi/

intelligent somewhat arboreal ape of equatorial African forests

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE day of departure of the Mentor had come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading THE day of departure of the Mentor had come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DEPARTUREnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GORILLASnounUS /ɡərˈɪləz/

plural of “gorilla” — largest anthropoid ape; terrestrial and vegetarian; of forests of central west Africa

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE day of departure of the Mentor had come.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IPI

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Pending verification
KINGnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LEFTnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MENTORnounUS /ˈmentɔːr/

a wise and trusted guide and advisor

From this reading DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading AND MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NCOMA

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Pending verification
NENGUÉ

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Pending verification
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OLENGA-YOMBI

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Pending verification
PLATEAUnounUS /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SHIKA

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

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

Pending verification
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DEPARTURE OF THE MENTOR.--MR.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THOMASnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TORNADOnounUS /tɔːrˈneɪdoʊ/

a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TRACESnounUS /ˈtreɪsəz/

plural of “trace” — a just detectable amount

From this reading THOMAS CHIMPANZEE.--THOMAS IN LONDON.--LEFT ALONE IN AFRICA.--DEPARTURE FROM PLATEAU.--A TORNADO.--NENGUÉ SHIKA.--TRACES OF GORILLAS.--NENGUÉ NCOMA.--KING OLENGA-YOMBI.--THE IPI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Vardon

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

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My heart was heavy; my good friend and companion, Captain Vardon, was going to leave me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs by Paul B. (Paul Belloni) Du Chaillu holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs contain?

Chapter 5 holds 179 sentences of The Country of the Dwarfs, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs by Paul B. (Paul Belloni) Du Chaillu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 5 of The Country of the Dwarfs?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Country of the Dwarfs

Common questions about reading The Country of the Dwarfs by Paul B. (Paul Belloni) Du Chaillu on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Country of the Dwarfs?

Yes. All 3774 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48643 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Country of the Dwarfs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48643, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Country of the Dwarfs take to read?

About 314 minutes of reading across 755 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Country of the Dwarfs section by section

How to work through The Country of the Dwarfs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Country of the Dwarfs 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 Country of the Dwarfs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Country of the Dwarfs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Country of the Dwarfs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Denoted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Country of the Dwarfs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Country of the Dwarfs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Equal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Country of the Dwarfs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.