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The Green Mouse
The Green Mouse

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Green Mouse is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?
For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.
Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.
You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.
To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.
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The Green Mouse

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Green Mouse 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

Line 1
Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?
Line 2
For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.
Line 3
Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.
Line 4
You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.
Line 5
To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.
/tuː ðə ˈlɪtəreri ˈlɪtərəl ənd ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk maɪnd ˈpɜːrpəsləs ˈfɪkʃən ɪz æbˈhɔːrənt/

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.

abhorrent adjective US /æbˈhɔːrənt/

offensive to the mind

From this reading “To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.”

decorative adjective US /ˈdekrətɪv/

serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose

From this reading “Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.”

Dedication noun US /ˌdedəˈkeɪʃən/

complete and wholehearted fidelity

From this reading “Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.”

erudite adjective US /ˈerədaɪt/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading “Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.”

literal adjective US /ˈlɪtərəl/

being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

From this reading “To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.”

purposeless adjective US /ˈpɜːrpəsləs/

not evidencing any purpose or goal

From this reading “To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.”

Resuming verb US /rɪˈzuːmɪŋ/

-ing form of “resume” — take up or begin anew

From this reading “Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.”

Transcendental adjective US /ˌtrænsənˈdentəl/

existing outside of or not in accordance with nature

From this reading “Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

abhorrentadjectiveUS /æbˈhɔːrənt/

offensive to the mind

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

AcceptverbUS /ækˈsept/

consider or hold as true

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

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 Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

Cinquecentic

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

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

ContemplationnounUS /ˌkɑːntəmˈpleɪʃən/

a long and thoughtful observation

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

decorativeadjectiveUS /ˈdekrətɪv/

serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

DedicationnounUS /ˌdedəˈkeɪʃən/

complete and wholehearted fidelity

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

don't

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

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

eruditeadjectiveUS /ˈerədaɪt/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

FollynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

FriendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

godnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

HeavenlyadjectiveUS /ˈhevənli/

relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

HeirsnounUS /erz/

plural of “heir” — a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

ImaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/

the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

literaladjectiveUS /ˈlɪtərəl/

being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/

being on the outside or further from a center

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

purposelessadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrpəsləs/

not evidencing any purpose or goal

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

resignationnounUS /ˌrezəɡˈneɪʃən/

acceptance of despair

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

ResumingverbUS /rɪˈzuːmɪŋ/

-ing form of “resume” — take up or begin anew

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

scientificadjectiveUS /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/

of or relating to the practice of science

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

SinsnounUS /sɪnz/

plural of “sin” — estrangement from god

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

skinsnounUS /skɪnz/

plural of “skin” — a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

SonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

TillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To the literary, literal, and scientific mind purposeless fiction is abhorrent.

TranscendentaladjectiveUS /ˌtrænsənˈdentəl/

existing outside of or not in accordance with nature

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

Transmogrified

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

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

twinsnounUS /twɪnz/

(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

VirtuesnounUS /ˈvɜːrtʃuːz/

plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading For I Have lost myself, I don't know why.

WisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Folly and Wisdom, Heavenly twins, Sons of the god Imagination, Heirs of the Virtues--which were Sins Till Transcendental Contemplation Transmogrified their outer skins-- Friend, do you follow me?

you've

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

From this reading You may not understand it, quite, But if you've followed me all through, You've done far more than I could do.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Resuming, then, this erudite And decorative Dedication,-- Accept it, John, with all your might In Cinquecentic resignation.

Chapter 1 of The Green Mouse by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 1 of The Green Mouse contain?

Chapter 1 holds 425 sentences of The Green Mouse, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Green Mouse by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the public-domain 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Green Mouse?

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 Green Mouse

Common questions about reading The Green Mouse by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Green Mouse?

Yes. All 3361 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10441 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Green Mouse is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10441, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Green Mouse take to read?

About 280 minutes of reading across 673 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Green Mouse section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Green Mouse 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 Green Mouse

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

Folly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Green Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wisdom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Green Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heavenly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Green Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twins
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Green Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.