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The Fifth String
The Fifth String

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Fifth String is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 4 of The Fifth String by John Philip Sousa holds 233 sentences, grouped into 47 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Fifth String contain?

Chapter 4 holds 233 sentences of The Fifth String, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Fifth String by John Philip Sousa exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 233 sentences, grouped into 47 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 Fifth String?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 Fifth String

Common questions about reading The Fifth String by John Philip Sousa on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Fifth String?

Yes. All 1399 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #504 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Fifth String is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #504, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Fifth String take to read?

About 116 minutes of reading across 280 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Fifth String section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Fifth String 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 Fifth String

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

Produced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fifth String; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Judith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fifth String; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fifth String; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Keller
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fifth String; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for The Fifth String
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.
It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."
"You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.
"Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.
"He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Fifth String

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Fifth String is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.
Line 2
It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."
Line 3
"You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.
Line 4
"Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.
Line 5
"He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

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.

Discernment noun US /dɪˈsɝːn.mənt/

The ability to judge well and perceive the true nature of events.

From this reading “It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."”

All words in this reading · 74

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

a

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

already

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

an

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

and

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

answered

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

are

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

as

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

Ask

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

be

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

beauties

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

black

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

but

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

contemptuously

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

crowning

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

determination

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

discernmentnounUS /dɪˈsɝːn.mənt/

The ability to judge well and perceive the true nature of events.

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

dreamy

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

fall

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

fancy

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

forced

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

from

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

girl

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

glory

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

glossy

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

have

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

He

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

he'll

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

heart

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

heavy

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

her

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

him

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

I

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

I'll

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

idle

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

if

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

in

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

is

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

It

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

jesting

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

man

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

may

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

no

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

not

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

of

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

old

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

on

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

play

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

refuse

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

replied

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

said

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

she

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

shoulders

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

skeins

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

some

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

strand

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

string

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

tangled

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

that

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

The

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

then

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

to

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

to-night

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

tresses

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

Tuscany

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

From this reading "The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

uncle

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

unhappy

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

wager

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

From this reading "Ask him to play on that string; I'll wager he'll refuse," said the old man, contemptuously.

was

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.

when

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

will

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

with

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

From this reading "He will not refuse when I ask him, but I will not to-night," answered the unhappy girl, with forced determination.

woman's

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

woven

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

From this reading It may be an idle fancy, but if that string is not a woven strand from some woman's crowning glory, then I have no discernment."

You

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

From this reading "You are jesting, uncle," she replied, but her heart was heavy already.