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The Poison Tree
The Poison Tree

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Poison Tree is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Bankimacandra Cattopadhyaya • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Poison Tree
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LIKE TO LIKE.
Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.
Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"
"Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.
"This is another mistake of yours.
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 Poison Tree

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Poison Tree is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LIKE TO LIKE.
/laɪk tuː laɪk/
Line 2
Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.
Line 3
Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"
Line 4
"Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.
Line 5
"This is another mistake of yours.
/ðɪs ɪz əˈnʌðər mɪˈsteɪk ʌv jʊrz/

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.

Babu noun US /bɑːˈbuː/

used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brandy noun US /ˈbrændi/

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drinking noun US /ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/

the act of consuming liquids

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freely adverb US /ˈfriːli/

in a free manner

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inquiring adjective US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

given to inquiry

From this reading “Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intervals noun US /ˈɪntərvəlz/

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoxicated adjective US /ɪnˈtɑːksəkeɪtɪd/

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoked adjective US /smoʊkt/

(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke

From this reading “Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 48

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "This is another mistake of yours.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BabunounUS /bɑːˈbuː/

used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Boisnavi

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Pending verification
brandynounUS /ˈbrændi/

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Debendra

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drinkingnounUS /ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/

the act of consuming liquids

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freelyadverbUS /ˈfriːli/

in a free manner

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
garden-house

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Pending verification
Haridasi

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Pending verification
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
huka

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Pending verification
inquiringadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

given to inquiry

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoxicatedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtɑːksəkeɪtɪd/

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "This is another mistake of yours.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LIKEverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading LIKE TO LIKE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading "This is another mistake of yours.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokedadjectiveUS /smoʊkt/

(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading "Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Surendra

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

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Pending verification
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Have you heard of this so soon?" said Debendra.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading LIKE TO LIKE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
to-day

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

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Pending verification
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Haridasi _Boisnavi_, returning to the garden-house, suddenly became Debendra Babu, and sat down and smoked his _huka_, drinking brandy freely at intervals until he became intoxicated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Then Surendra entered, sat down by Debendra, and after inquiring after his health, said, "Where have you been to-day again?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading "This is another mistake of yours.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 14 of The Poison Tree by Bankimacandra Cattopadhyaya holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 14 of The Poison Tree contain?

Chapter 14 holds 116 sentences of The Poison Tree, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Poison Tree by Bankimacandra Cattopadhyaya exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 14 of The Poison Tree?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Poison Tree

Common questions about reading The Poison Tree by Bankimacandra Cattopadhyaya on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poison Tree?

Yes. All 3130 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17455 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poison Tree is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17455, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poison Tree take to read?

About 260 minutes of reading across 626 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poison Tree section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Poison Tree 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 Poison Tree

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

Nagendra's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poison Tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Journey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poison Tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nagendra
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poison Tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Natha
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poison Tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.