The Enchanted Castle

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By E. (Edith) Nesbit • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Enchanted Castle

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

It would be interesting, no doubt, to describe the feelings of Lord Yalding as he followed Mabel and Jimmy through his ancestral halls, but I have no means of knowing at all what he felt.

Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XI Reading 1/53

The Enchanted Castle E. (Edith) Nesbit

Chapter XI

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

It would be interesting, no doubt, to describe the feelings of Lord Yalding as he followed Mabel and Jimmy through his ancestral halls, but I have no means of knowing at all what he felt. Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming. Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad? Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be. You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

The Enchanted Castle

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

It would be interesting, no doubt, to describe the feelings of Lord Yalding as he followed Mabel and Jimmy through his ancestral halls, but I have no means of knowing at all what he felt.

Line 2

Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

/jet wʌn mʌst səˈpoʊz ðæt hiː felt ˈsʌmθɪŋ bɪˈwɪldərmənt pərˈhæps mɪkst wɪð ə feɪnt ˈwʌndər ənd ə dɪˈzaɪər tuː pɪntʃ hɪmˈself tuː siː ɪf hiː wɜːr ˈdriːmɪŋ/

Line 3

Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

/ɔːr hiː meɪ hæv ˈpɑːndərd ðə ˈraɪvəl ˈkwestʃənz æm aɪ mæd/

Line 4

Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

/ɑːr ðeɪ mæd wɪˈθaʊt ˈbiːɪŋ æt ɔːl ˈeɪbəl tuː ˌdɪˈsaɪd wɪtʃ hiː ɔːt tuː traɪ tuː ˈænsər let əˈloʊn ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ wʌt ɪn ˈiːðər keɪs ðə ˈænsər ɔːt tuː biː/

Line 5

You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

/juː siː ðə ˈtʃɪldrən dɪd siːm tuː bɪˈliːv ɪn ðə ɑːd ˈstɔːriz ðeɪ toʊld ənd ðə wɪʃ hæd kʌm truː ənd ðə ɡoʊst hæd əˈpɪrd/

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.

ancestral adjective US /ænˈsestrəl/

inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent

From this reading “It would be interesting, no doubt, to describe the feelings of Lord Yalding as he followed Mabel and Jimmy through his ancestral halls, but I have no means of knowing at all what he felt.”

bewilderment noun US /bɪˈwɪldərmənt/

confusion resulting from failure to understand

From this reading “Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.”

deciding noun US /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of reaching a decision

From this reading “Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.”

dreaming noun US /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading “Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.”

halls noun US /hɔːlz/

plural of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

pinch verb US /pɪntʃ/

squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading “Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.”

pondered verb US /ˈpɑːndərd/

past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?”

rival verb US /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading “Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?”

All words in this reading · 89

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 It would be interesting, no doubt, to describe the feelings of Lord Yalding as he followed Mabel and Jimmy through his ancestral halls, but I have no means of knowing at all what he felt.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

Amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

ancestraladjectiveUS /ænˈsestrəl/

inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

bewildermentnounUS /bɪˈwɪldərmənt/

confusion resulting from failure to understand

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

decidingnounUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of reaching a decision

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

describeverbUS /dɪˈskraɪb/

give a description of

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

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

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

ghostnounUS /ɡoʊst/

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

hallsnounUS /hɔːlz/

plural of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

JimmyverbUS /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

knowingadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊɪŋ/

evidencing the possession of inside information

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

Mabel

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

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

pinchverbUS /pɪntʃ/

squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

ponderedverbUS /ˈpɑːndərd/

past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading Or he may have pondered the rival questions, "Am I mad?

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — 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 You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Are they mad?" without being at all able to decide which he ought to try to answer, let alone deciding what, in either case, the answer ought to be.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Yalding

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

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet one must suppose that he felt something: bewilderment, perhaps, mixed with a faint wonder, and a desire to pinch himself to see if he were dreaming.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see, the children did seem to believe in the odd stories they told and the wish had come true, and the ghost had appeared.

Chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle by E. (Edith) Nesbit holds 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 11 of The Enchanted Castle contain?

Chapter 11 holds 269 sentences of The Enchanted Castle, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle by E. (Edith) Nesbit exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 11 of The Enchanted Castle?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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.

Questions about reading The Enchanted Castle

Common questions about reading The Enchanted Castle by E. (Edith) Nesbit on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Enchanted Castle?

Yes. All 4445 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3536 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Enchanted Castle is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3536, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Enchanted Castle take to read?

About 370 minutes of reading across 889 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Enchanted Castle section by section

How to work through The Enchanted Castle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Enchanted Castle to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Enchanted Castle

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Enchanted Castle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Young: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Enchanted Castle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Enchanted Castle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Difficult: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Enchanted Castle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Believe: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Enchanted Castle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

What does chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle contain?

How do I study chapter 11 of The Enchanted Castle?

Can chapter 11 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Enchanted Castle

How to read The Enchanted Castle section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Enchanted Castle