Chapter 17 of The Dumpling is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Dumpling is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MUTINY AND A MESMERIST. "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip. "I heard you ranting in the street outside." Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked. Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
Chapter 17 of The Dumpling is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
without good sense or judgment
From this reading “Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.”
the act of grasping
From this reading “"You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.”
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading “Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.”
open rebellion against constituted authority (especially by seamen or soldiers against their officers)
From this reading “MUTINY AND A MESMERIST.”
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading “"You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.”
a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
From this reading “"I heard you ranting in the street outside."”
filled with something
From this reading “Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.”
United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)
From this reading “"You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.”
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 “"You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.”
In this reading “Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.”
In this reading “"You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.”
In this reading “"I heard you ranting in the street outside."”
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 MUTINY AND A MESMERIST.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MUTINY AND A MESMERIST.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
without good sense or judgment
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
the act of grasping
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
only a very short time before
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
the act of retaining something
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
a person who induces hypnosis
From this reading MUTINY AND A MESMERIST.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
open rebellion against constituted authority (especially by seamen or soldiers against their officers)
From this reading MUTINY AND A MESMERIST.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
not in physical motion
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
filled with something
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I heard you ranting in the street outside."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, "Am I hurting you, Mr. Rissler?" he asked.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
push forcefully
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Foolishly I opened my mouth to reply, but hardly had I done so before a handkerchief was thrust between my lips, and stuffed the next instant half-way down my throat.
United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You noisy fool, Wright!" he said, still holding me in his iron grip.
Chapter 17 of The Dumpling by Coulson Kernahan holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 holds 88 sentences of The Dumpling, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Dumpling by Coulson Kernahan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 17 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Dumpling 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 Dumpling, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
