Chapter 21 of The Queen Pedauque is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Queen Pedauque is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations. After that my good master became extremely weak. “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me. “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.” As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
Chapter 21 of The Queen Pedauque is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading “As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.”
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading “Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.”
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading “After that my good master became extremely weak.”
at a previous time
From this reading “As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.”
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading ““Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.””
anemic looking from illness or emotion
From this reading “As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.”
possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill
a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading ““Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.””
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 As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
later than; following
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
at a previous time
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
anemic looking from illness or emotion
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
not any; not one
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading “Look how his head lies on the pillow, how thin his nose is.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “There is no more hope,” M. Coquebert told me.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Death of M. Jérôme Coignard Two days passed in cruel alternations.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As a fact, my good master’s nose, formerly big and red, was nothing now but a bent blade, livid like lead.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading After that my good master became extremely weak.
Chapter 21 of The Queen Pedauque by Anatole France holds 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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.
Chapter 21 holds 52 sentences of The Queen Pedauque, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Queen Pedauque by Anatole France exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Queen Pedauque by Anatole France on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3865 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6571 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6571, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 322 minutes of reading across 773 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Queen Pedauque section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Queen Pedauque 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 Queen Pedauque, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
