The Fairies and the Christmas Child

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Lilian Gask • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Fairies and the Christmas Child

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

"Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form.

All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

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 VI Reading 1/27

The Fairies and the Christmas Child Lilian Gask

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou. "Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form. All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company. He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines. Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

The Fairies and the Christmas Child

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

Line 2

"Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form.

Line 3

All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

/ɔːl ˈwɪmən lʌvd hɪm bʌt ðoʊ hiː sɜːrvd ðem wɪð ˈʃɪvəlri æz bɪˈkeɪm ə naɪt hiː sɔːt hɪz ˈpleʒər ɪn ðə wʊdz ənd fiːldz ˈræðər ðæn ɪn ðer ˈkʌmpəniː/

Line 4

He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

Line 5

Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

/səmˈtaɪmz hiː roʊt ðiːz θɪŋz ɑːn ə ʃiːt ʌv ˈpeɪpər ənd red ðem tuː hɪmˈself əˈlaʊd æz hiː leɪ ɑːn ðə ɡriːn swɔːrd/

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.

bravery noun US /ˈbreɪvəri/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading “"Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form.”

chivalry noun US /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading “All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.”

dwelt verb US /dwelt/

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

humming noun US /ˈhʌmɪŋ/

a humming noise

From this reading “He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.”

pines noun US /paɪnz/

plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree

From this reading “He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.”

Queens noun US /kwiːnz/

a borough of New York City

From this reading “The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.”

secrets noun US /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading “He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.”

sward noun US /swɔːrd/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading “Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.”

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.

green sward noun + noun

In this reading “Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.”

slender form adjective + noun

In this reading “"Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form.”

among the pines preposition + article + noun counted as “among … pine”

In this reading “He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.”

extreme beauty adjective + noun

noble lord adjective + noun

in the woods preposition + article + noun counted as “in … woods”

In this reading “All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.”

lay on verb + particle

In this reading “Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.”

at the Castle preposition + article + noun counted as “at … castle”

All words in this reading · 86

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 "Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form.

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 All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

Argouges

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

braverynounUS /ˈbreɪvəri/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

brooknounUS /brʊk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

chivalrynounUS /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

dweltverbUS /dwelt/

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

extremeadjectiveUS /ekˈstriːm/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

FairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/

widely known and esteemed

featuresnounUS /ˈfiːtʃərz/

plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

fieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

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

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

gurgled

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

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

hummingnounUS /ˈhʌmɪŋ/

a humming noise

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

knightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

Mellisande

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

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

pinesnounUS /paɪnz/

plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

Pirou

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

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

QueensnounUS /kwiːnz/

a borough of New York City

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

rustled

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

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/

past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

SevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

sheetnounUS /ʃiːt/

any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

slenderadjectiveUS /ˈslendər/

being of delicate or slender build

SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

swardnounUS /swɔːrd/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the pines.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading All women loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight, he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their company.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.

Chapter 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child by Lilian Gask holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child contain?

Chapter 6 holds 138 sentences of The Fairies and the Christmas Child, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child by Lilian Gask exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 6 of The Fairies and the Christmas Child?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Fairies and the Christmas Child

Common questions about reading The Fairies and the Christmas Child by Lilian Gask on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Fairies and the Christmas Child?

Yes. All 1633 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37547 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Fairies and the Christmas Child is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37547, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Fairies and the Christmas Child take to read?

About 136 minutes of reading across 327 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Fairies and the Christmas Child section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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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 Fairies and the Christmas Child

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Fairies and the Christmas Child, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fairy: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairies and the Christmas Child; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Worst: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairies and the Christmas Child; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Being: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairies and the Christmas Child; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Christmas: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairies and the Christmas Child; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VI

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Vocabulary met early in The Fairies and the Christmas Child