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The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales
The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!
Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"
"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.
No, no, good soul.
I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!
Line 2
Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"
Line 3
"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.
Line 4
No, no, good soul.
/noʊ noʊ ɡʊd soʊl/
Line 5
I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

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.

borne verb US /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading “I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.”

consider verb US /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading “"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.”

Fairy noun US /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.”

forgive verb US /fərˈɡɪv/

stop blaming or grant forgiveness

From this reading “Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"”

kindness noun US /ˈkaɪndnəs/

the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic

From this reading “I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.”

malice noun US /ˈmæləs/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading “"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.”

race noun US /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading “"Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.”

severe adjective US /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading “I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

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 "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

bearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

Canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

CousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

Eudora

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

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

FairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

forgiveverbUS /fərˈɡɪv/

stop blaming or grant forgiveness

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading No, no, good soul.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

how

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

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

ill-will

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

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

kindnessnounUS /ˈkaɪndnəs/

the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

Madeline

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

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

malicenounUS /ˈmæləs/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

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

From this reading No, no, good soul.

thankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I have never borne you ill-will, though my kindness has been severe.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

unkindnessnoun

lack of sympathy

From this reading Can you ever forgive my old unkindness?"

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Cousin Madeline," replied the Fairy, "I bear no malice to any one, least of all to you, who come of a race I love, and of a family I consider my own.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Eudora," Madeline began, "how am I to thank you!

Chapter 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales by Alfred, Mrs. Gatty holds 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 4 holds 392 sentences of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales by Alfred, Mrs. Gatty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales

Common questions about reading The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales by Alfred, Mrs. Gatty on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales?

Yes. All 1595 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11319 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11319, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales take to read?

About 132 minutes of reading across 319 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales section by section

How to work through The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales 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 Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Images
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Available
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.