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The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale
The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.
At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.
She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.
His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.
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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 Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale 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
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
Line 2
See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.
Line 3
At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.
Line 4
She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.
Line 5
His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.
/hɪz waɪf wɑːz ʌv əˈnʌðər moʊld ənd ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli smɑːrt ˈheɪsti ənd ræʃ wɪð ðæt ə skoʊld jet stɪl ə ˈfiːlɪŋ hɑːrt/

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.

archive noun US /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

http noun US /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading “See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.”

Internet noun US /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

Libraries noun US /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

magpie noun US /ˈmæɡpaɪ/

long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

From this reading “See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.”

prematurely adverb US /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading “His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.”

scold verb US /skoʊld/

censure severely or angrily

From this reading “His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.”

stings noun US /stɪŋz/

plural of “sting” — a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung

From this reading “At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

00

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

ArchivenounUS /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

availableadjectiveUS /əˈveɪləbəl/

obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

comfortsnounUS /ˈkʌmfərts/

things that make you comfortable and at ease

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

consciencenounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəns/

motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

devotedadjectiveUS /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

zealous in devotion or affection

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

farmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

featuresnounUS /ˈfiːtʃərz/

plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

HastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

httpnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

ImagesnounUS /ˈɪmədʒəz/

plural of “image” — an iconic mental representation

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

InternetnounUS /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

LibrariesnounUS /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

liv'd

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

MAGPIEnounUS /ˈmæɡpaɪ/

long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

maidnounUS /meɪd/

a female domestic

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

maidthemagpieint

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/

moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

moreiala

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

mouldverbUS /moʊld/

form in clay, wax, etc

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

org

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

Palaiseau

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

prematurelyadverbUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

prey'd

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

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

rashnounUS /ræʃ/

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

scoldverbUS /skoʊld/

censure severely or angrily

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

serv'd

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

stingsnounUS /stɪŋz/

plural of “sting” — a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading At Palaiseau, there liv'd a maid, In form and features mild; The stings of conscience never prey'd, On this devoted child.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

wealthyadjectiveUS /ˈwelθi/

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

wish'd

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

From this reading She serv'd a wealthy farmer there, An honest soul was he; Her comforts were his only care, And all he wish'd to see.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

wwwnoun

computer network consisting of a collection of internet sites that offer text and graphics and sound and animation resources through the hypertext transfer protocol

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/maidthemagpieint00moreiala MAGPIE.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading His wife was of another mould, And prematurely smart; Hasty, and rash, with that a scold, Yet still a feeling heart.

Chapter 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale by Charles Moreton 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 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale contain?

Chapter 1 holds 66 sentences of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale by Charles Moreton 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 1 of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale?

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 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 Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale

Common questions about reading The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale by Charles Moreton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale?

Yes. All 66 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22181 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22181, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 14 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale section by section

How to work through The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale 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 Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Images
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Available
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid and the Magpie An Interesting Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.