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

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Law-Breakers is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ridgwell Cullum • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Law-Breakers
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.
It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.
Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.
Of course, the big man promptly blundered.
Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.
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 Law-Breakers

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Law-Breakers is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.
/bɪl piːps ˈʌndər ðə ˈsɜːrfəs ðə sərˈpraɪzɪz ʌv ðə naɪt wɜːr nɑːt jet ˈoʊvər fɔːr bɪɡ ˈbrʌðər bɪl/
Line 2
It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.
/ɪt ˈɔːlmoʊst siːmd æz ɪf ə ˈlaɪftaɪm ʌv sərˈpraɪzɪz wɜːr tuː biː ˈkraʊdəd ˈɪntuː hɪz fɜːrst naɪt ɪn ðə ˈvæli ʌv ˈliːpɪŋ kriːk/
Line 3
Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.
/stɪl ˈθɜːroʊli mɔɪst hiː ˈfaɪnəli riːtʃt hoʊm tuː faɪnd hɪz ˈbrʌðər ðer ˈweɪtɪŋ fɔːr hɪm/
Line 4
Of course, the big man promptly blundered.
/ʌv kɔːrs ðə bɪɡ mæn ˈprɑːmptli ˈblʌndərd/
Line 5
Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

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.

blundered verb US /ˈblʌndərd/

past form of “blunder” — commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake

From this reading “Of course, the big man promptly blundered.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dilapidated adjective US /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/

in deplorable condition

From this reading “Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Leaping noun US /ˈliːpɪŋ/

a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

From this reading “It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifetime noun US /ˈlaɪftaɪm/

the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)

From this reading “It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moist adjective US /mɔɪst/

slightly wet

From this reading “Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peeps noun US /piːps/

plural of “peep” — the short weak cry of a young bird

From this reading “BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rocking verb US /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surprises noun US /sərˈpraɪzɪz/

plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading “BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.”

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.

living room noun + noun

a room in a private house or establishment where people can sit and talk and relax

In this reading “Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.”

2,325 times in 426,211 chapters
reached home verb + noun counted as “reach home”

In this reading “Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.”

4,998 times in 426,211 chapters
rocking chair noun + noun counted as “rock chair”

In this reading “Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.”

822 times in 426,211 chapters
Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Of course, the big man promptly blundered.”

307,822 times in 426,211 chapters
UNDER THE SURFACE preposition + article + noun counted as “under … surface”

In this reading “BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.”

694 times in 426,211 chapters
Big Brother adjective + noun

a totalitarian leader and invader of privacy

In this reading “BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.”

1,457 times in 426,211 chapters
big man adjective + noun

In this reading “Of course, the big man promptly blundered.”

5,474 times in 426,211 chapters
first night adjective + noun

In this reading “It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.”

5,017 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 55

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 It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BILLnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blunderedverbUS /ˈblʌndərd/

past form of “blunder” — commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake

From this reading Of course, the big man promptly blundered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BrothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Charlie

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

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

Pending verification
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, the big man promptly blundered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CreeknounUS /kriːk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crowdedadjectiveUS /ˈkraʊdəd/

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dilapidatedadjectiveUS /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/

in deplorable condition

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LeapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/

a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifetimenounUS /ˈlaɪftaɪm/

the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

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

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Of course, the big man promptly blundered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moistadjectiveUS /mɔɪst/

slightly wet

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PEEPSnounUS /piːps/

plural of “peep” — the short weak cry of a young bird

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
promptlyadverbUS /ˈprɑːmptli/

with little or no delay

From this reading Of course, the big man promptly blundered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rockingverbUS /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SURFACEnounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surprisesnounUS /sərˈpraɪzɪz/

plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
valleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading It almost seemed as if a lifetime of surprises were to be crowded into his first night in the valley of Leaping Creek.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading Still thoroughly moist, he finally reached home to find his brother there, waiting for him.

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 Charlie was in the living room, sitting in a dilapidated rocking chair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE The surprises of the night were not yet over for Big Brother Bill.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 17 of The Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 of The Law-Breakers contain?

Chapter 17 holds 155 sentences of The Law-Breakers, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 of The Law-Breakers?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Law-Breakers

Common questions about reading The Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Law-Breakers?

Yes. All 10144 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29958 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Law-Breakers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29958, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Law-Breakers take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Law-Breakers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Law-Breakers 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 Law-Breakers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Law-Breakers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Law-Breakers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Law-Breakers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
River
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Law-Breakers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ranch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Law-Breakers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.