Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Puzzle King is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“LAUGH AND GROW FAT.” THE PUZZLE KING. AMUSING ARITHMETIC. BOOK-KEEPING BLUNDERS. COMMERCIAL COMICALITIES.
The Puzzle King
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Puzzle King is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
“LAUGH
AND
GROW
FAT.”
THE
PUZZLE
KING.
AMUSING
ARITHMETIC.
BOOK-KEEPING
BLUNDERS.
COMMERCIAL
COMICALITIES.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Puzzle King
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Puzzle King is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
“LAUGH
AND
GROW
FAT.”
/læf ənd ɡroʊ fæt/
Line 2
THE
PUZZLE
KING.
/ðə ˈpʌzəl kɪŋ/
Line 3
AMUSING
ARITHMETIC.
/əˈmjuːzɪŋ ˌerɪθˈmetɪk/
Line 4
BOOK-KEEPING
BLUNDERS.
Line 5
COMMERCIAL
COMICALITIES.
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.
amusing
adjective
US /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading “AMUSING ARITHMETIC.”
arithmetic
noun
US /ˌerɪθˈmetɪk/
the branch of pure mathematics dealing with the theory of numerical calculations
From this reading “AMUSING ARITHMETIC.”
blunders
noun
US /ˈblʌndərz/
plural of “blunder” — an embarrassing mistake
From this reading “BOOK-KEEPING BLUNDERS.”
commercial
adjective
US /kəˈmɜːrʃəl/
connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises
From this reading “COMMERCIAL COMICALITIES.”
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading ““LAUGH AND GROW FAT.””
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading ““LAUGH AND GROW FAT.””
the sound of laughing
From this reading ““LAUGH AND GROW FAT.””
puzzle
verb
US /ˈpʌzəl/
be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading “THE PUZZLE KING.”
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.
GROW FAT
verb + adjective
In this reading ““LAUGH AND GROW FAT.””
All words in this reading · 13
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.
AMUSINGadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading AMUSING ARITHMETIC.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “LAUGH AND GROW FAT.”
ARITHMETICnounUS /ˌerɪθˈmetɪk/
the branch of pure mathematics dealing with the theory of numerical calculations
From this reading AMUSING ARITHMETIC.
BLUNDERSnounUS /ˈblʌndərz/
plural of “blunder” — an embarrassing mistake
From this reading BOOK-KEEPING BLUNDERS.
BOOK-KEEPING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BOOK-KEEPING BLUNDERS.
COMICALITIES
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COMMERCIAL COMICALITIES.
COMMERCIALadjectiveUS /kəˈmɜːrʃəl/
connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises
From this reading COMMERCIAL COMICALITIES.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading “LAUGH AND GROW FAT.”
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “LAUGH AND GROW FAT.”
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading THE PUZZLE KING.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “LAUGH AND GROW FAT.”
PUZZLEverbUS /ˈpʌzəl/
be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading THE PUZZLE KING.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PUZZLE KING.
Chapter 1 of The Puzzle King by John Scott holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 of The Puzzle King contain?
Chapter 1 holds 448 sentences of The Puzzle King, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Puzzle King by John Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 of The Puzzle King?
Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 1 be read aloud to me?
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.
Questions about reading The Puzzle King
Common questions about reading The Puzzle King by John Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Puzzle King?
Yes. All 2259 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52052 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Puzzle King is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #52052, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Puzzle King take to read?
About 188 minutes of reading across 452 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Puzzle King section by section
How to work through The Puzzle King section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Puzzle King to begin.
-
Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Puzzle King
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Puzzle King, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Laugh
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Puzzle King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Puzzle
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Puzzle King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Amusing
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Puzzle King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Arithmetic
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Puzzle King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.