Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Kiltartan wonder book
The Kiltartan wonder book

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Kiltartan wonder book is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Lady Gregory • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Kiltartan wonder book
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MAUNSEL & CO.
LTD.
96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.
To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.
There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.
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 Kiltartan wonder book

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Kiltartan wonder book is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MAUNSEL & CO.
Line 2
LTD.
Line 3
96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.
Line 4
To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.
Line 5
There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.
/ðer wɜːr θriː sʌnz ʌv ə kɪŋ ðæt hæd daɪd ənd ðeɪ wɜːr ˈlɪvɪŋ təˈɡeðər ənd ðer wɑːz ə ˈsteɪbəl ənd ə bɜːrd ənd wʌn ʌv ðə sʌnz wɑːz ə bɪt ˈsɪmpəl/

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.

abbey noun US /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading “96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bird noun US /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading “There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dublin noun US /ˈdʌblɪn/

capital and largest city and major port of the Irish Republic

From this reading “96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hake noun US /heɪk/

the lean flesh of a fish similar to cod

From this reading “To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
middle noun US /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading “96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mule noun US /mjuːl/

hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading “To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sons noun US /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading “There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stable adjective US /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

From this reading “There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading “To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.”

132,882 times in 426,212 chapters
in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.”

107,541 times in 426,212 chapters
three sons noun + noun counted as “three son”

In this reading “There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.”

1,556 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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.

96

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

From this reading 96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ABBEYnounUS /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading 96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChildnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading MAUNSEL & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
codfishnoun

lean white flesh of important North Atlantic food fish; usually baked or poached

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DUBLINnounUS /ˈdʌblɪn/

capital and largest city and major port of the Irish Republic

From this reading 96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hakenounUS /heɪk/

the lean flesh of a fish similar to cod

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Kiltartan

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Pending verification
KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LTD

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

From this reading LTD.

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MAUNSEL

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

From this reading MAUNSEL & CO.

Pending verification
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MIDDLEnounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading 96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MULEnounUS /mjuːl/

hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STREETnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading 96 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET DUBLIN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were three sons of a King that had died, and they were living together, and there was a stable and a bird, and one of the sons was a bit simple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To R. G. G. A Kiltartan Child THE MULE Well, I will tell you the story of a Mule was in the world one time, says the old man who had promised me a codfish and had only brought me a hake.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of The Kiltartan wonder book by Lady Gregory holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Kiltartan wonder book contain?

Chapter 1 holds 449 sentences of The Kiltartan wonder book, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Kiltartan wonder book by Lady Gregory exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 Kiltartan wonder book?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 Kiltartan wonder book

Common questions about reading The Kiltartan wonder book by Lady Gregory on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Kiltartan wonder book?

Yes. All 863 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Kiltartan wonder book is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76322, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Kiltartan wonder book take to read?

About 71 minutes of reading across 173 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Kiltartan wonder book section by section

How to work through The Kiltartan wonder book section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Kiltartan wonder book 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 Kiltartan wonder book

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Kiltartan wonder book, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Maunsel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kiltartan wonder book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Middle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kiltartan wonder book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Abbey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kiltartan wonder book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kiltartan wonder book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.