Chapter 1 of The Elm Tree Tales is here in full — 34 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Elm Tree Tales is here in full — 34 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ELM TREE TALES. F. IRENE BURGE SMITH. Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles. Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms. MASON BROTHERS.
Chapter 1 of The Elm Tree Tales is here in full — 34 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/6 · 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.
plural of “cellar” — the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading “Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.”
superlative of “dire” — fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
From this reading “Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.”
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading “ELM TREE TALES.”
used in combination to denote the middle
From this reading “Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.”
take delight in
From this reading “Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.”
living in or characteristic of farming or country life
From this reading “Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.”
plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something
From this reading “Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.”
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading “Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
the organic process of bearing flowers
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading MASON BROTHERS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading F. IRENE BURGE SMITH.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
plural of “cellar” — the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
superlative of “dire” — fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading ELM TREE TALES.
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading F. IRENE BURGE SMITH.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading F. IRENE BURGE SMITH.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading MASON BROTHERS.
used in combination to denote the middle
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
take delight in
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
living in or characteristic of farming or country life
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
From this reading F. IRENE BURGE SMITH.
plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading ELM TREE TALES.
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading ELM TREE TALES.
green foliage
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
in or at the place that
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
which person or people
From this reading Little know they who dwell 'mid rural shades, Of life's great struggles.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Poverty and want In direst forms, are never seen, where bloom And verdure revel, but within the dark And loathesome cellars of the crowded town, They hide their tattered forms.
Chapter 1 of The Elm Tree Tales by F. Burge (Frances Burge) Griswold holds 34 sentences, grouped into 7 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 1 holds 34 sentences of The Elm Tree Tales, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Elm Tree Tales by F. Burge (Frances Burge) Griswold exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 34 sentences, grouped into 7 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 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 7 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Elm Tree Tales by F. Burge (Frances Burge) Griswold on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2294 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29008 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29008, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 191 minutes of reading across 459 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Elm Tree Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Elm Tree Tales 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 Elm Tree Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
