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The Country of the Dwarfs
The Country of the Dwarfs

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Country of the Dwarfs is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.
WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.
We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.
On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.
The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.
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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.

The Country of the Dwarfs

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Country of the Dwarfs is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.
Line 2
WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.
Line 3
We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.
Line 4
On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.
Line 5
The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.
/ðə men wɜːr ɑːrmd wɪð spɪrz baʊz ənd ˈæroʊz ənd ˈseɪbərz/

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.

barricaded adjective US /ˈbærəkeɪdɪd/

preventing entry or exit or a course of action

From this reading “We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.”

frighten verb US /ˈfraɪtən/

cause fear in

From this reading “On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.”

imminent adjective US /ˈɪmənənt/

close in time; about to occur

From this reading “RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.”

loom verb US /luːm/

come into view indistinctly, often threateningly

From this reading “WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.”

rumors noun US /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading “RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.”

sabres noun US /ˈseɪbərz/

plural of “sabre” — a fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle

From this reading “The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.”

southeast noun US /ˌsaʊˈθiːst/

the compass point midway between south and east; at 135 degrees

From this reading “WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.”

spears noun US /spɪrz/

plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

From this reading “The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.”

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.

IMMINENT PERIL adjective + noun

In this reading “RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.”

NARROW ESCAPE verb + noun

something achieved (or escaped) by a narrow margin

In this reading “RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.”

loom up verb + adjective

In this reading “WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.”

fighting men noun + noun

In this reading “We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.”

HORRIBLE DEATH adjective + noun

In this reading “RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.”

frighten away verb + particle

cause to lose courage

In this reading “On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

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 We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

Aponos

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

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

approachedverbUS /əˈproʊtʃt/

past form of “approach” — move towards

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

armedadjectiveUS /ɑːrmd/

(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

arrowsnounUS /ˈæroʊz/

plural of “arrow” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

barricadedadjectiveUS /ˈbærəkeɪdɪd/

preventing entry or exit or a course of action

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

bowsnounUS /baʊz/

plural of “bow” — a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

BURNINGnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/

plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

DEATHnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

Dilolo

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

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

ESCAPEnounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

fightingnounUS /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

frightenverbUS /ˈfraɪtən/

cause fear in

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/

prudent

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

HORRIBLEadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəbəl/

provoking horror

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

IMMINENTadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/

close in time; about to occur

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

irimba

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

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

LONELYadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

loomverbUS /luːm/

come into view indistinctly, often threateningly

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

Matimbié

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

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

NARROWverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

NIGHT-WATCH

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

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

PERILnounUS /ˈperəl/

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading On the path charms had been placed, to frighten away the Aponos.

PRAIRIEnounUS /ˈpreri/

a treeless grassy plain

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

RUMORSnounUS /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

sabresnounUS /ˈseɪbərz/

plural of “sabre” — a fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

southeastnounUS /ˌsaʊˈθiːst/

the compass point midway between south and east; at 135 degrees

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

spearsnounUS /spɪrz/

plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

THROUGHprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

WARnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading RUMORS OF WAR.--THROUGH A BURNING PRAIRIE.--IMMINENT PERIL.--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.--A LONELY NIGHT-WATCH.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading WAR began to loom up as we reached the southeast end of the Matimbié irimba.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We came to a village called Dilolo, the path we were following leading directly to it, and as we approached we found that the place had been barricaded, and that it was guarded outside by all its fighting men.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The men were armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres.

Chapter 19 of The Country of the Dwarfs by Paul B. (Paul Belloni) Du Chaillu holds 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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 19 of The Country of the Dwarfs contain?

Chapter 19 holds 85 sentences of The Country of the Dwarfs, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 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 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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 19 of The Country of the Dwarfs?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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

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  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.