The Demi-Gods

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Demi-Gods is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James Stephens • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XV Reading 1/13

The Demi-Gods James Stephens

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Demi-Gods is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air. There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there. There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children. There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too. It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

The Demi-Gods

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Demi-Gods is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

/ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə haʊs wɑːz æn ˈɜːrθən flɔːr fɔːr wɔːlz ənd ˈplenti ʌv er/

Line 2

There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

/ðer wɜːr ˈbriːzɪz ˈbloʊɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈempti haʊs fɔːr frʌm ˌwʌˈtevər dərˈekʃən ə waɪnd maɪt kʌm ɪt faʊnd ˈentrəns ðer/

Line 3

There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

/ðer wɜːr stoʊnz ˈlaɪɪŋ ˈevriwer ɑːn ðə flɔːr sʌm ʌv ðem hæd drɑːpt frʌm ðə wɔːlz bʌt moʊst hæd bɪn dʒɜːrkt θruː ðə ˈwɪndoʊ baɪ ˈpæsɪŋ ˈtʃɪldrən/

Line 4

There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

Line 5

It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈdʌsti haʊs ənd wen ɪt wʊd biː wet ɪˈnʌf ɪt wʊd biː ə ˈmʌdi haʊs ənd ɪt wɑːz ˈmʌsti wɪð dɪˈsjuːs ənd ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

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.

breezes noun US /ˈbriːzɪz/

plural of “breeze” — a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading “There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.”

desolation noun US /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading “It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.”

disuse noun US /dɪˈsjuːs/

the state of something that has been unused and neglected

From this reading “It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.”

earthen adjective US /ˈɜːrθən/

made of earth (or baked clay)

From this reading “Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.”

jerked verb US /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading “There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.”

muddy adjective US /ˈmʌdi/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading “It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.”

musty adjective US /ˈmʌsti/

covered with or smelling of mold

From this reading “It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.”

webs noun US /webz/

plural of “web” — an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving

From this reading “There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.”

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.

earthen floor adjective + noun

In this reading “Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.”

breezes blowing noun + noun counted as “breeze blowing”

In this reading “There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.”

through the window preposition + article + noun counted as “through … window”

In this reading “There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.”

on the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “on … floor”

In this reading “There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.”

four walls noun + noun counted as “four wall”

In this reading “Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.”

empty house verb + noun

In this reading “There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.”

dropped from verb + particle counted as “drop from”

In this reading “There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.”

from the walls preposition + article + noun counted as “from … wall”

In this reading “There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/

processing that involves blowing a gas

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

breezesnounUS /ˈbriːzɪz/

plural of “breeze” — a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

disusenounUS /dɪˈsjuːs/

the state of something that has been unused and neglected

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

earthenadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrθən/

made of earth (or baked clay)

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

InsideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

muddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

mustyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌsti/

covered with or smelling of mold

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

plentynounUS /ˈplenti/

a full supply

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

spider's

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

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Inside the house was an earthen floor, four walls, and plenty of air.

websnounUS /webz/

plural of “web” — an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading There were breezes blowing in the empty house, for from whatever direction a wind might come it found entrance there.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading There were stones lying everywhere on the floor; some of them had dropped from the walls, but most had been jerked through the window by passing children.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There were spider's webs in that house; the roof was covered with them, and the walls were covered with them too.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It was a dusty house, and when it would be wet enough it would be a muddy house, and it was musty with disuse and desolation.

Chapter 15 of The Demi-Gods by James Stephens holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 15 of The Demi-Gods contain?

Chapter 15 holds 68 sentences of The Demi-Gods, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Demi-Gods by James Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 15 of The Demi-Gods?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Demi-Gods by James Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 2399 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46558 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Demi-Gods is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46558, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Demi-Gods take to read?

About 199 minutes of reading across 480 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Demi-Gods

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Demi-Gods, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

James: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Demi-Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stephens: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Demi-Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Demi-Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vision: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Demi-Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XV

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