Chapter 2 of The Firelight Fairy Book is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Firelight Fairy Book is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'Whose castle is this?' I said to the lodge-keeper. "'It's nobody's, marm,' said he. "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?' "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
Chapter 2 of The Firelight Fairy Book is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
any person at all
From this reading “"'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'”
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “"'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'”
a large and stately mansion
From this reading “"'Whose castle is this?'”
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading “"'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “"'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.”
possessive form of “nobody” — a person of no influence
From this reading “"'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.”
third-person singular of “own” — have ownership or possession of
From this reading “"'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'”
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading “"'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'”
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.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
any person at all
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
a large and stately mansion
From this reading "'Whose castle is this?'
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I said to the lodge-keeper.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'Whose castle is this?'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.
and nothing more
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I said to the lodge-keeper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
no person; not anyone
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
possessive form of “nobody” — a person of no influence
From this reading "'It's nobody's, marm,' said he.
third-person singular of “own” — have ownership or possession of
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I said to the lodge-keeper.
express in words
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I said to the lodge-keeper.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "'Whose castle is this?'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I said to the lodge-keeper.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
which person or people
From this reading "'That's just what I mean to say, marm,' answered he; 'the castle belongs to anyone who wants it.'
belonging to which person
From this reading "'Whose castle is this?'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'What,' said I; 'do you mean to say that nobody owns this fine castle?'
Chapter 2 of The Firelight Fairy Book by Henry Beston holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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.
Chapter 2 holds 425 sentences of The Firelight Fairy Book, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Firelight Fairy Book by Henry Beston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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.
Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.
Common questions about reading The Firelight Fairy Book by Henry Beston on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2073 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19207 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19207, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 172 minutes of reading across 415 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Firelight Fairy Book section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Firelight Fairy Book to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Firelight Fairy Book, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
