Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Getting of Wisdom
The Getting of Wisdom

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Getting of Wisdom
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
The four children were lying on the grass.
"... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.
And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.
She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.
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 Getting of Wisdom

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
/ˈwɪzdəm ɪz ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl θɪŋ ˈðerfɔːr ɡet ˈwɪzdəm ənd wɪð ɔːl ðaɪ ˈɡetɪŋ ɡet ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/
Line 2
The four children were lying on the grass.
/ðə fɔːr ˈtʃɪldrən wɜːr ˈlaɪɪŋ ɑːn ðə ɡræs/
Line 3
"... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.
Line 4
And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.
/ənd ðer hiː sɔː ə ˈleɪdi ə ˈbjuːtəfəl ˈleɪdi ɪn ə lɔːŋ waɪt dres ðæt hʌŋ daʊn tuː hɜːr ˈæŋkəlz wɪð ə ˈɡoʊldən belt ənd ə ˈɡoʊldən kraʊn/
Line 5
She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

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.

ankles noun US /ˈæŋkəlz/

plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading “And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.”

belt noun US /belt/

endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys

From this reading “And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.”

garments noun US /ˈɡɑːrmənts/

plural of “garment” — an article of clothing

From this reading “She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.”

glade noun US /ɡleɪd/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading “"... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.”

marks noun US /mɑːrks/

English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)

From this reading “She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.”

principal noun US /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

sward noun US /swɔːrd/

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

From this reading “She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.”

velvet noun US /ˈvelvət/

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading “She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

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 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

anklesnounUS /ˈæŋkəlz/

plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

beltnounUS /belt/

endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

crownnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

eldernounUS /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/

plural of “garment” — an article of clothing

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

gladenounUS /ɡleɪd/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

marksnounUS /mɑːrks/

English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

PrincenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

principalnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

swardnounUS /swɔːrd/

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

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

travelverbUS /ˈtrævəl/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

understandingnounUS /ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was lying on the sward--a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet--and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The four children were lying on the grass.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown.

WisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade--a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely.

Chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson holds 422 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom contain?

Chapter 1 holds 422 sentences of The Getting of Wisdom, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Getting of Wisdom?

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.

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 Getting of Wisdom

Common questions about reading The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Getting of Wisdom?

Yes. All 3826 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Getting of Wisdom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Getting of Wisdom take to read?

About 318 minutes of reading across 766 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Getting of Wisdom section by section

How to work through The Getting of Wisdom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Getting of Wisdom 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 Getting of Wisdom

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Getting of Wisdom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wisdom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Getting of Wisdom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Principal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Getting of Wisdom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Getting of Wisdom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Therefore
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Getting of Wisdom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.