Chapter 3 of The Dragon in Shallow Waters is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Dragon in Shallow Waters is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy. If Heaven had given me eyes! I wouldn’t be such a one as you. I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.” With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
Chapter 3 of The Dragon in Shallow Waters is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
past form of “bundle” — make into a bundle
From this reading “With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.”
singing in a soft low tone
From this reading “I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.””
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.””
suggesting an unhealthy mental state
From this reading ““Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.”
an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
From this reading “I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.””
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading “With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.”
excessively fastidious and easily disgusted
From this reading ““Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.”
a lightweight cord
From this reading “I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.””
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 “With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.”
In this reading “I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.””
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 wouldn’t be such a one as you.
(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 With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I wouldn’t be such a one as you.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I wouldn’t be such a one as you.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
past form of “bundle” — make into a bundle
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
singing in a soft low tone
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
opinion or judgment
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
something many people believe that is false
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If Heaven had given me eyes!
suggesting an unhealthy mental state
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
not any; not one
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I wouldn’t be such a one as you.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
excessively fastidious and easily disgusted
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
dependable
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
a lightweight cord
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I wouldn’t be such a one as you.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading With that he bundled them all out, and slammed the door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading I’d sooner be a fool playing with a bit of string, and crooning mumble-jumble, or taking off my hat to a scarecrow in the dusk.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wouldn’t be such a one as you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Morbid, am I? no, it’s you squeamish ones that are morbid, and I that have the stout fancy.
Chapter 3 of The Dragon in Shallow Waters by V. (Victoria) Sackville-West holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 440 sentences of The Dragon in Shallow Waters, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Dragon in Shallow Waters by V. (Victoria) Sackville-West exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Dragon in Shallow Waters by V. (Victoria) Sackville-West on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3104 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59806 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59806, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dragon in Shallow Waters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Dragon in Shallow Waters 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 Dragon in Shallow Waters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
