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The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill
The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill is here in full — 455 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Max, Sir Beerbohm • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill
Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.
_First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).
_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.
Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.
The fire-brigade was not called out.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 dreadful dragon of Hay Hill

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill is here in full — 455 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.
Line 2
_First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).
Line 3
_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.
Line 4
Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.
/ˈdeɪndʒər tuː ðə lɪvz ʌv ðə ˈdresmeɪkərz ɪn ˈdoʊvər striːt wɑːz nɑːt ˌæprɪˈhendɪd/
Line 5
The fire-brigade was not called out.

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.

apprehended adjective US /ˌæprɪˈhendɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading “Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dover noun US /ˈdoʊvər/

the capital of the state of Delaware

From this reading “Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressmakers noun US /ˈdresmeɪkərz/

plural of “dressmaker” — someone who makes or mends dresses

From this reading “Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Limited adjective US /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading “_First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Max noun US /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading “_First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
separately adverb US /ˈsepərətli/

apart from others

From this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sparks noun US /spɑːrks/

plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light

From this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thickly adverb US /ˈθɪkli/

spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue

From this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

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.

early dawn adjective + noun

In this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

1,467 times in 426,211 chapters
in the midst preposition + article + noun counted as “in … midst”

the middle or central part or point

In this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

42,254 times in 426,211 chapters
golden summer adjective + noun

In this reading “_First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.”

163 times in 426,211 chapters
called out verb + adjective counted as “call out”

utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

In this reading “The fire-brigade was not called out.”

23,708 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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.

1928

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

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
apprehendedadjectiveUS /ˌæprɪˈhendɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Beerbohm's

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

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

Pending verification
booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading The fire-brigade was not called out.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
columnnounUS /ˈkɑːləm/

a line of units following one after another

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DovernounUS /ˈdoʊvər/

the capital of the state of Delaware

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressmakersnounUS /ˈdresmeɪkərz/

plural of “dressmaker” — someone who makes or mends dresses

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EditionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fire-brigade

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

From this reading The fire-brigade was not called out.

Pending verification
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HaynounUS /heɪ/

grass mowed and cured for use as fodder

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HEINEMANN

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

From this reading LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.

Pending verification
HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LimitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

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 LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LTD

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

From this reading LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.

Pending verification
MaxnounUS /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The fire-brigade was not called out.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
publishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
separatelyadverbUS /ˈsepərətli/

apart from others

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sparksnounUS /spɑːrks/

plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/

spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Danger to the lives of the dressmakers in Dover Street was not apprehended.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VarietynounUS /vərˈaɪəti/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VolumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WILLIAM

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

From this reading LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.

Pending verification
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading _First published separately in book form, November, 1928._ In the faint early dawn of a day in the midst of a golden summer, a column of smoke was seen rising from Hay Hill, rising thickly, not without sparks in it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WorksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading _First published in “A Variety of Things”_ (_Volume ten of the Limited Edition of Max Beerbohm’s Works_).

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill by Max, Sir Beerbohm holds 455 sentences, grouped into 91 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 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill contain?

Chapter 1 holds 455 sentences of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill by Max, Sir Beerbohm exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 455 sentences, grouped into 91 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 1 of The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill?

Work through the 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 91 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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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Vocabulary met early in The dreadful dragon of Hay Hill

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Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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