Chapter 3 of The Disentanglers is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Disentanglers is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.' 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton. Miss Blossom stared. 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.' 'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.
Chapter 3 of The Disentanglers is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
produce or yield flowers
From this reading “Miss Blossom stared.”
in a demure manner
From this reading “'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.”
a unit of instruction
From this reading “'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'”
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading “'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.”
United States religious and writer (1915-1968)
From this reading “'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.”
scratch repeatedly
From this reading “'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “Miss Blossom stared.”
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading “'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'”
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 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
produce or yield flowers
From this reading Miss Blossom stared.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading 'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
in a demure manner
From this reading 'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
conformity or harmony
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
a unit of instruction
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading 'I think I can manage it,' said Miss Blossom demurely.
United States religious and writer (1915-1968)
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Blossom stared.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
scratch repeatedly
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Miss Blossom stared.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'They have been taught _that_ lesson already.'
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading 'I don't think they are aware of it,' said Merton.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'I can't explain, but you must find a way of keeping them out of a scrape.'
Chapter 3 of The Disentanglers by Andrew Lang holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 3 holds 404 sentences of The Disentanglers, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Disentanglers by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 3 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 Disentanglers by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7308 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17031 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17031, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Disentanglers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Disentanglers 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 Disentanglers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
