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

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Land of Mystery is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Land of Mystery
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FLIGHT.
Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.
He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.
He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.
It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.
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 Land of Mystery

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Land of Mystery is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FLIGHT.
/ðə flaɪt/
Line 2
Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.
Line 3
He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.
Line 4
He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.
/hiː wɑːz dɪˈstrɔːt fɔːr ðə ˈmoʊmənt ənd stʊd ˌʌndɪˈsaɪdɪd wʌt tuː duː/
Line 5
It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

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.

agitation noun US /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading “He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.”

distraught adjective US /dɪˈstrɔːt/

deeply agitated especially from emotion

From this reading “He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.”

fearful adjective US /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading “Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.”

flight noun US /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading “THE FLIGHT.”

infected adjective US /ˌɪnˈfektɪd/

containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms

From this reading “He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.”

overwhelming adjective US /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading “He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.”

swung verb US /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading “He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.”

undecided adjective US /ˌʌndɪˈsaɪdɪd/

not brought to a conclusion; subject to further thought

From this reading “He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

agitationnounUS /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

Ariel

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

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

Ashman

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

distraughtadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrɔːt/

deeply agitated especially from emotion

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

fearfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

FLIGHTnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading THE FLIGHT.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

infectedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfektɪd/

containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

Murhapa

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

NeveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

overwhelmingadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

self-commandnoun

the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading It was the lovely Ariel who showed the most self-command.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

swungverbUS /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FLIGHT.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

undecidedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈsaɪdɪd/

not brought to a conclusion; subject to further thought

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/

communicated in words

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He was distraught for the moment, and stood undecided what to do.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading He swung his arms, and in his wild agitation uttered some of his words in Murhapa, but his meaning was caught by Ashman, who was infected by his overwhelming emotion.

Ziffak

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

From this reading Never had Ziffak shown such fearful excitement.

Chapter 26 of The Land of Mystery by Edward Sylvester Ellis holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 26 of The Land of Mystery contain?

Chapter 26 holds 66 sentences of The Land of Mystery, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Land of Mystery by Edward Sylvester Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 26 of The Land of Mystery?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Land of Mystery

Common questions about reading The Land of Mystery by Edward Sylvester Ellis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Land of Mystery?

Yes. All 2575 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16855 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Land of Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16855, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Land of Mystery take to read?

About 214 minutes of reading across 515 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Land of Mystery section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Land of Mystery 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 Land of Mystery

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

Matto
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Land of Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grosso
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Land of Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blood-red
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Land of Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sinking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Land of Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.