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The Magic City
The Magic City

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Magic City is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/62 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.
'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!
You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'
'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'
'But do you really think he's safe?'
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Magic City

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Magic City is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/62 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.
Line 2
'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!
Line 3
You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'
Line 4
'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'
/wʌn ˈɔːrdəneri ˈhjuːmən ˈbiːɪŋ sed ˈmɪstər ˈnoʊə ˈdʒentli juː fərˈɡet ðæt dɪr ˈfɪləp ɪz naʊ æn ɜːrl/
Line 5
'But do you really think he's safe?'

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.

blueness noun US /ˈbluːnəs/

blue color or pigment; resembling the color of the clear sky in the daytime

From this reading “UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.”

downs noun US /daʊnz/

plural of “down” — soft fine feathers

From this reading “UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.”

grasp verb US /ɡræsp/

hold firmly

From this reading “UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.”

hateful adjective US /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading “UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.”

Noah noun US /ˈnoʊə/

the Hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of Noah and the flood is told in the Book of Genesis

From this reading “'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!”

sniffs noun US /snɪfs/

plural of “sniff” — sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose

From this reading “'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!”

sobs noun US /sɑːbz/

plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition

From this reading “'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!”

ups verb US /ʌps/

third-person singular of “up” — raise

From this reading “UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

bearingnounUS /ˈberɪŋ/

relevant relation or interconnection

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

bluenessnounUS /ˈbluːnəs/

blue color or pigment; resembling the color of the clear sky in the daytime

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

DOWNSnounUS /daʊnz/

plural of “down” — soft fine feathers

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

earlnounUS /ɜːrl/

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

forgetverbUS /fərˈɡet/

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

gentlyadverbUS /ˈdʒentli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

graspverbUS /ɡræsp/

hold firmly

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

he's

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

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

Hippogriff

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

how

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

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

LucynounUS /ˈluːsi/

incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

NoahnounUS /ˈnoʊə/

the Hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of Noah and the flood is told in the Book of Genesis

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

Pretenderette

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

sniffsnounUS /snɪfs/

plural of “sniff” — sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

sobsnounUS /sɑːbz/

plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition

From this reading 'Oh, Mr. Noah,' said Lucy, between sniffs and sobs, 'how _can_ she!

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 'One ordinary human being,' said Mr. Noah gently; 'you forget that dear Philip is now an earl.'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading 'But do you really think he's safe?'

UPSverbUS /ʌps/

third-person singular of “up” — raise

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading UPS AND DOWNS We left Lucy in tears and Philip in the grasp of the hateful Pretenderette, who, seated on the Hippogriff, was bearing him away across the smooth blueness of the wide sea.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You _did_ say the Hippogriff could only carry one!'

Chapter 8 of The Magic City by E. (Edith) Nesbit holds 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 8 of The Magic City contain?

Chapter 8 holds 311 sentences of The Magic City, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Magic City by E. (Edith) Nesbit exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 8 of The Magic City?

Work through the 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 63 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Magic City

Common questions about reading The Magic City by E. (Edith) Nesbit on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Magic City?

Yes. All 4421 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20606 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Magic City is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20606, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Magic City take to read?

About 368 minutes of reading across 885 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Magic City section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Magic City 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 Magic City

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

Philip
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic City; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Haldane
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic City; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sister
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic City; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lived
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic City; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.