Chapter 4 of The Magic World is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Magic World is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Quentin was not brave. But he shut his eyes. He could not help it. The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him. He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
Chapter 4 of The Magic World is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 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.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading “Quentin was not brave.”
an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
From this reading “The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.”
the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading “The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.”
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading “But he shut his eyes.”
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading “The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.”
the rays of the sun
From this reading “The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.”
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.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading Quentin was not brave.
an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he shut his eyes.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not help it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading But he shut his eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he shut his eyes.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading He could not help it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But he shut his eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He could not help it.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Quentin was not brave.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Quentin was not brave.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading But he shut his eyes.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He could not believe that this could really have happened to him.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The glitter of the bronze knife in the sunlight was too strong for him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Quentin was not brave.
Chapter 4 of The Magic World by E. (Edith) Nesbit holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 434 sentences of The Magic World, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Magic World by E. (Edith) Nesbit exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 Magic World by E. (Edith) Nesbit on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3913 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27903 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27903, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 326 minutes of reading across 783 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Magic World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Magic World 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 Magic World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
