Chapter 1 of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland is here in full — 10 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland is here in full — 10 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PRINCESS NOBODY. LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. BALLADE OF DEDICATION. To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate. I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
Chapter 1 of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland is here in full — 10 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.”
a poem consisting of 3 stanzas and an envoy
From this reading “BALLADE OF DEDICATION.”
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
From this reading “To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.”
complete and wholehearted fidelity
From this reading “BALLADE OF DEDICATION.”
a small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater
From this reading “I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!”
an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious
From this reading “I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!”
liver or meat or fowl finely minced or ground and variously seasoned
From this reading “I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!”
sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs
From this reading “To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.”
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.
In this reading “I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!”
In this reading “To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
a poem consisting of 3 stanzas and an envoy
From this reading BALLADE OF DEDICATION.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
complete and wholehearted fidelity
From this reading BALLADE OF DEDICATION.
a small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
no person; not anyone
From this reading THE PRINCESS NOBODY.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BALLADE OF DEDICATION.
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
liver or meat or fowl finely minced or ground and variously seasoned
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading THE PRINCESS NOBODY.
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PRINCESS NOBODY.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading I made it up out of my pate, And wasted midnight oil, Interpreting each cut and plate-- The works of DICKY DOYLE!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading To all you babes at Branxholm Park, This book I dedicate; A book for winter evenings dark, Too dark to ride or skate.
Chapter 1 of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland by Andrew Lang holds 10 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 holds 10 sentences of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 10 sentences, grouped into 2 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 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 2 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 271 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52545 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52545, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 22 minutes of reading across 55 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland 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 Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
