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The Princess and the Goblin
The Princess and the Goblin

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Princess and the Goblin is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Princess and the Goblin
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.
By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.
All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.
Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.
Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.
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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 Princess and the Goblin

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Princess and the Goblin is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.
Line 2
By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.
Line 3
All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.
Line 4
Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.
Line 5
Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

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.

Princess noun US /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading “The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.”

All words in this reading · 87

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.

a

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

after

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

All

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

Almost

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

and

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

As

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

at

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

away

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

before

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

began

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

between

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

both

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

brought

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

By

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

came

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

certain

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

could

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

disappeared

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

Escape

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

far

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

fast

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

fear

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

feeling

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

feet

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

finger

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

following

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

for

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

from

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

grandmother's

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

handful

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

hands

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

have

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

having

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

head

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

her

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

herself

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

in

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

into

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

it

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

jumped

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

just

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

kept

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

laughing

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

lay

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

leave

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

lift

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

many

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

mechanically

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

might

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

more

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

never

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

next

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

not

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

of

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

once

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

one

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

or

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

poke

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

remove

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

see

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

she

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

sobbed

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

some

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

sometimes

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

still

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

From this reading By and by she began, still mechanically, to poke her finger in after it between the stones as far as she could.

stones

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

taking

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

that

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

The

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

there

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

this

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

thought

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

From this reading Almost laughing at herself for never having thought of this before, she jumped to her feet.

thread

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

three

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

throw

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

times

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

to

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

top

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

two

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

up

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

vanished

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

was

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

From this reading Her fear vanished; once more she was certain her grandmother's thread could not have brought her there just to leave her there; and she began to throw away the stones from the top as fast as she could, sometimes two or three at a handful, sometimes taking both hands to lift one.

went

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

where

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

From this reading All at once it came into her head that she might remove some of the stones and see where the thread went next.

which

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

with

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

From this reading The Escape As the princess lay and sobbed she kept feeling the thread mechanically, following it with her finger many times up to the stones in which it disappeared.

Chapter 21 of The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 of The Princess and the Goblin contain?

Chapter 21 holds 224 sentences of The Princess and the Goblin, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 21 of The Princess and the Goblin?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Princess and the Goblin

Common questions about reading The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Princess and the Goblin?

Yes. All 2974 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #708 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Princess and the Goblin is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #708, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Princess and the Goblin take to read?

About 247 minutes of reading across 595 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Princess and the Goblin section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Princess and the Goblin 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 Princess and the Goblin

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Princess and the Goblin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Princess
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Princess and the Goblin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Princess and the Goblin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Princess and the Goblin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Princess and the Goblin; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.