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The Mikado Jewel
The Mikado Jewel

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mikado Jewel is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fergus Hume • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Mikado Jewel
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.
London: EVERETT & CO.
42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.
1910 CONTENTS CHAP.
From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.
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 Mikado Jewel

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mikado Jewel is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.
Line 2
London: EVERETT & CO.
Line 3
42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.
Line 4
1910 CONTENTS CHAP.
Line 5
From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

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.

Crook noun US /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dwellings noun US /ˈdwelɪŋz/

plural of “dwelling” — housing that someone is living in

From this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Essex noun US /ˈesɪks/

a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary

From this reading “42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
extends verb US /ɪkˈstendz/

third-person singular of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fern noun US /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading “Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hansom noun US /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

From this reading “Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoroughfare noun US /ˈθɜːroʊfer/

a public road from one place to another

From this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tides noun US /taɪdz/

plural of “tide” — the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

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.

Hansom Cab noun + noun

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

In this reading “Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.”

441 times in 426,211 chapters
main thoroughfare adjective + noun

In this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

489 times in 426,211 chapters
considerable distance adjective + noun

In this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

2,939 times in 426,211 chapters
long line adjective + noun

In this reading “From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.”

5,450 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

1910

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

From this reading 1910 CONTENTS CHAP.

Pending verification
42

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

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bayswater

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

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Pending verification
CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CabnounUS /kæb/

a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHAPnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading 1910 CONTENTS CHAP.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading London: EVERETT & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CONTENTSnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading 1910 CONTENTS CHAP.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CrooknounUS /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
displaynounUS /dɪˈspleɪ/

something intended to communicate a particular impression

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dwellingsnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋz/

plural of “dwelling” — housing that someone is living in

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EssexnounUS /ˈesɪks/

a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
etc

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

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

Pending verification
EVERETT

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

From this reading London: EVERETT & CO.

Pending verification
extendsverbUS /ɪkˈstendz/

third-person singular of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FernnounUS /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goodsnounUS /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HansomnounUS /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading London: EVERETT & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MotornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PurplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/

plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StrandnounUS /strænd/

a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stronglyadverbUS /ˈstrɔːŋli/

with strength or in a strong manner

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

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 Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Purple Fern," "The Mystery of a Motor Cab," etc., etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoroughfarenounUS /ˈθɜːroʊfer/

a public road from one place to another

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tidesnounUS /taɪdz/

plural of “tide” — the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uglyadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡli/

displeasing to the senses

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading 42, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading From the main thoroughfare of Bayswater, where the shops display their goods and the tides of life run strongly, Crook Street extends its long line of ugly dwellings to a considerable distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of The Mikado Jewel by Fergus Hume holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Mikado Jewel contain?

Chapter 1 holds 209 sentences of The Mikado Jewel, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Mikado Jewel by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Mikado Jewel?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 Mikado Jewel

Common questions about reading The Mikado Jewel by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mikado Jewel?

Yes. All 5064 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56243 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mikado Jewel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56243, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mikado Jewel take to read?

About 422 minutes of reading across 1013 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mikado Jewel section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Mikado Jewel 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 Mikado Jewel

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mikado Jewel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mikado Jewel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hansom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mikado Jewel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Purple
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mikado Jewel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.