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The Eternal Maiden
The Eternal Maiden

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Eternal Maiden is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Eternal Maiden
Context Illustration Reading 68/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!
And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!
May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"
From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.
Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.
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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 Eternal Maiden

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Eternal Maiden is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 68/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 336–340

Line 1
May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!
/meɪ ðə ˈspɪrət ʌv ðə fɑːɡ ɡroʊ fæt əˈpɑːn hɪz ˈentrəlz/
Line 2
And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!
Line 3
May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"
Line 4
From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.
Line 5
Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.
/ˈoʊpənɪŋ ɪt hiː rɪˈviːld ə kəˈlekʃən ʌv oʊld boʊnz ðer wɜːr ðə boʊnz ʌv mʌsk ˈɑːksən siːlz ˈwɔːlrəs ənd ˈsmɔːlər ˈænəməlz/

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.

chant verb US /tʃænt/

recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

From this reading “From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.”

entrails noun US /ˈentrəlz/

internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)

From this reading “May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!”

musk noun US /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading “Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.”

oxen noun US /ˈɑːksən/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading “Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.”

scatter verb US /ˈskætər/

to cause to separate and go in different directions

From this reading “And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!”

seals noun US /siːlz/

plural of “seal” — fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

From this reading “Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.”

subsiding noun US /səbˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a gradual sinking to a lower level

From this reading “From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.”

walrus noun US /ˈwɔːlrəs/

either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber

From this reading “Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

animalsnounUS /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

anore

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

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

bonesnounUS /boʊnz/

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

chantverbUS /tʃænt/

recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

entrailsnounUS /ˈentrəlz/

internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

kindredadjectiveUS /ˈkɪndrɪd/

similar in quality or character

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

musknounUS /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

OpeningnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

oxennounUS /ˈɑːksən/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

scatterverbUS /ˈskætər/

to cause to separate and go in different directions

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

sealsnounUS /siːlz/

plural of “seal” — fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

seekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

Sila

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

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

Sipsu

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

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

skinsnounUS /skɪnz/

plural of “skin” — a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/

small or little relative to something else

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

spiritsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

subsidingnounUS /səbˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a gradual sinking to a lower level

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

sufferverbUS /ˈsʌfər/

undergo or be subjected to

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

unavailingly

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

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading From under a pile of skins Sipsu, his chant subsiding, brought forth a bundle.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading May his soul forever seek to find its kindred spirits unavailingly and suffer in _Sila_, (throughout the universe) forever!"

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading May the spirit of the fog grow fat upon his entrails!

walrusnounUS /ˈwɔːlrəs/

either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Opening it, he revealed a collection of old bones; there were the bones of musk oxen, seals, walrus and smaller animals.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

windsnounUS /wɪndz/

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading And may the spirits of his body scatter--as the clouds in the wild _anore_ (winds) scatter!

Chapter 1 of The Eternal Maiden by T. Everett (Thomas Everett) Harré holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Eternal Maiden contain?

Chapter 1 holds 413 sentences of The Eternal Maiden, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Eternal Maiden by T. Everett (Thomas Everett) Harré exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Eternal Maiden?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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.

Questions about reading The Eternal Maiden

Common questions about reading The Eternal Maiden by T. Everett (Thomas Everett) Harré on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Eternal Maiden?

Yes. All 3617 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16093 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Eternal Maiden is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16093, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Eternal Maiden take to read?

About 301 minutes of reading across 724 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Eternal Maiden section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Eternal Maiden to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Eternal Maiden

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

Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Maiden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Maiden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Maiden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty-fourth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Maiden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.