The New Gulliver, and Other Stories

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Barry Pain • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The New Gulliver, and Other Stories

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out.

Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/39

The New Gulliver, and Other Stories Barry Pain

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out. Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause. In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind. I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me. The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

The New Gulliver, and Other Stories

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out.

/naɪt ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːrdən ənd ðə ˈstɔːri ʌv ðə ˈɡoʊstli ˈmjuːzɪk ðer ɑːr ˈmeni θɪŋz ðæt meɪ brɪŋ ə mæn ˈnɔːrməli ˈsoʊʃəbəl ˈɪntuː ðæt steɪt ʌv maɪnd wen ɪt ɪz nɑːt dɪˈzaɪrəbəl ðæt hiː ʃæl daɪn aʊt/

Line 2

Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

Line 3

In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

/ɪn maɪ keɪs ðə kɑːz wɑːz ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt ənd əˈnɪntrəstɪŋ bʌt aɪ wɑːz ənˈdaʊtɪdli ɪn ðæt steɪt ʌv maɪnd/

Line 4

I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

/aɪ hæd tuː daɪn aʊt ənd aɪ hæd nɑːt ðə ˈfiːlɪŋ ʌv ˈɡrætətuːd wɪtʃ wʊd hæv ˈbetər bɪˈkʌm miː/

Line 5

The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

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.

dining noun US /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/

the act of eating dinner

From this reading “The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.”

disproportionate adjective US /ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːrʃənɪt/

out of proportion

From this reading “The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.”

ghostly adjective US /ˈɡoʊstli/

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

From this reading “NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out.”

ludicrous adjective US /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading “The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.”

normally adverb US /ˈnɔːrməli/

under normal conditions

sociable adjective US /ˈsoʊʃəbəl/

inclined to or conducive to companionship with others

unimportant adjective US /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading “In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.”

uninteresting adjective US /əˈnɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement

From this reading “In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.”

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.

many things adjective + noun

In this reading “NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out.”

with rage preposition + noun

In this reading “The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.”

Too many adverb + adjective

In this reading “Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.”

in fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.”

IN THE GARDEN preposition + article + noun counted as “in … garden”

many visitors adjective + noun counted as “many visitor”

In this reading “Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading NIGHT IN THE GARDEN: AND THE STORY OF "THE GHOSTLY MUSIC" There are many things that may bring a man, normally sociable, into that state of mind when it is not desirable that he shall dine out.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

desirableadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəbəl/

worth having or seeking or achieving

despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

dineverbUS /daɪn/

have supper; eat dinner

diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/

the act of eating dinner

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

disproportionateadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːrʃənɪt/

out of proportion

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

GARDENnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

GHOSTLYadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊstli/

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

gratitudenounUS /ˈɡrætətuːd/

a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

jangles

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

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

MUSICnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

nervesnounUS /nɜːrvz/

an uneasy psychological state

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

normallyadverbUS /ˈnɔːrməli/

under normal conditions

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

numbersnounUS /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

ragenounUS /reɪdʒ/

a feeling of intense anger

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

sociableadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊʃəbəl/

inclined to or conducive to companionship with others

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

TooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

unimportantadjectiveUS /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

uninterestingadjectiveUS /əˈnɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

visitorsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtərz/

plural of “visitor” — someone who visits

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In my case the cause was unimportant and uninteresting, but I was undoubtedly in that state of mind.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The idea of dining out filled me with rage and despair--disproportionate, ludicrous, but quite real.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading I had to dine out, and I had not the feeling of gratitude which would have better become me.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Too many wrong numbers on the telephone, too many visitors, too much talk--anything in fact that jangles the nerves may be the cause.

Chapter 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories by Barry Pain holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 16 holds 195 sentences of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories by Barry Pain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 16 of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 New Gulliver, and Other Stories

Common questions about reading The New Gulliver, and Other Stories by Barry Pain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories?

Yes. All 4196 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33542 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33542, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The New Gulliver, and Other Stories take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 840 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The New Gulliver, and Other Stories section by section

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Open a chapter

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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The New Gulliver, and Other Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in The New Gulliver, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Werner: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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First: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pages: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The New Gulliver, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

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Vocabulary met early in The New Gulliver, and Other Stories