Chapter 3 of The Penalty is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Penalty is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Barbara was smiling. "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?" "God knows," returned the boy. "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others. But he ain't no common beggar.
Chapter 3 of The Penalty is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading “But he ain't no common beggar.”
a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds
From this reading “"Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.”
show off
From this reading “"Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.”
plural of “bubble” — a hollow globule of gas (e.g., air or carbon dioxide)
From this reading “"What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"”
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading “But he ain't no common beggar.”
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading “"God knows," returned the boy.”
staying power
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “Barbara was smiling.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Barbara was smiling.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
show off
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
a youthful male person
From this reading "God knows," returned the boy.
plural of “bubble” — a hollow globule of gas (e.g., air or carbon dioxide)
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "God knows," returned the boy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading "God knows," returned the boy.
staying power
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
not any; not one
From this reading But he ain't no common beggar.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Blizzard don't boast about it like the others.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "God knows," returned the boy.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading Barbara was smiling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "God knows," returned the boy.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Barbara was smiling.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What became of his _legs_, Bubbles?"
Chapter 3 of The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 411 sentences of The Penalty, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5676 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12557, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 473 minutes of reading across 1136 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Penalty section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Penalty to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Penalty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
