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The Marvellous History of the Shadowless
The Marvellous History of the Shadowless

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Marvellous History of the Shadowless
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.
I listened.
Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.
The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.
Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.
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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 Marvellous History of the Shadowless

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.
Line 2
I listened.
/aɪ ˈlɪsənd/
Line 3
Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.
Line 4
The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.
Line 5
Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.
/ˈræskəl ˈθretənd tuː straɪk hɪm ɪf hiː pərˈsɪstɪd ɪn rəˈfjuːzɪŋ hɪz ˈentrəns/

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.

dispute verb US /dɪsˈpjuːt/

take exception to

From this reading “It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.”

equals noun US /ˈiːkwəlz/

plural of “equal” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

From this reading “Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.”

forbidding adjective US /fərˈbɪdɪŋ/

harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance

From this reading “Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.”

forcing verb US /ˈfɔːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

From this reading “Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.”

master's noun US /ˈmæstərz/

possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill

From this reading “The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.”

persisted verb US /pərˈsɪstɪd/

past form of “persist” — continue to exist

From this reading “Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.”

Rascal noun US /ˈræskəl/

a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading “Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.”

refusing verb US /rəˈfjuːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading “Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.”

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.

insisted on verb + particle counted as “insist on”

In this reading “Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.”

persisted in verb + particle counted as “persist in”

do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop

In this reading “Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.”

suddenly awoke adverb + adjective counted as “suddenly awake”

In this reading “It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

ante-chamber

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

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

Bendel

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

disputeverbUS /dɪsˈpjuːt/

take exception to

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

equalsnounUS /ˈiːkwəlz/

plural of “equal” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

excellentadjectiveUS /ˈeksələnt/

very good; of the highest quality

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

faithfuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪθfəl/

steadfast in affection or allegiance

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

forbiddingadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪdɪŋ/

harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

forcingverbUS /ˈfɔːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

insistedverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəd/

past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading I listened.

master'snounUS /ˈmæstərz/

possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

persistedverbUS /pərˈsɪstɪd/

past form of “persist” — continue to exist

From this reading Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

RascalnounUS /ˈræskəl/

a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

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

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

refusingverbUS /rəˈfjuːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

remindedverbUS /riˈmaɪndɪd/

past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

sworeverbUS /swɔːr/

inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading Rascal threatened to strike him, if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master's ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my ante-chamber.

Chapter 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless by Adelbert von Chamisso holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless contain?

Chapter 4 holds 218 sentences of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless by Adelbert von Chamisso exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 4 of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Marvellous History of the Shadowless

Common questions about reading The Marvellous History of the Shadowless by Adelbert von Chamisso on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless?

Yes. All 1795 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32219 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32219, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Marvellous History of the Shadowless take to read?

About 149 minutes of reading across 359 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Marvellous History of the Shadowless section by section

How to work through The Marvellous History of the Shadowless section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless 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 Marvellous History of the Shadowless

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Marvellous History of the Shadowless, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Marvellous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
History
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shadowless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Marvellous History of the Shadowless; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.