Chapter 4 of The Jewel of Bas is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Jewel of Bas is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world. It was the last that caught the boy's attention. He sat up slowly. "Darkness? You!
Chapter 4 of The Jewel of Bas is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
plural of “android” — an automaton that resembles a human being
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading “It was the last that caught the boy's attention.”
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading “It was the last that caught the boy's attention.”
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
possessing sweep
From this reading “He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
plural of “android” — an automaton that resembles a human being
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
immediately past
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
above and across; more than
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat up slowly.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He sat up slowly.
possessing sweep
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He sat up slowly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the last that caught the boy's attention.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He told Bas about the slave-gangs, the androids, the shining monster in the pit--and the darkness that swept over the world.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You!
Chapter 4 of The Jewel of Bas by Leigh Brackett holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 430 sentences of The Jewel of Bas, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Jewel of Bas by Leigh Brackett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Jewel of Bas by Leigh Brackett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1728 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62996 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62996, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 144 minutes of reading across 346 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Jewel of Bas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Jewel of Bas 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 Jewel of Bas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
