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The Red Acorn
The Red Acorn

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Red Acorn is here in full — 260 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Red Acorn
Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.
And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.
O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.
-Anonymous.
It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.
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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 Red Acorn

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Red Acorn is here in full — 260 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.
Line 2
And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.
Line 3
O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.
Line 4
-Anonymous.
/əˈnɑːnəməs/
Line 5
It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈnɪrli nuːn wen ˈheri əˈwoʊk/

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.

Anonymous adjective US /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading “-Anonymous.”

awoke verb US /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading “It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.”

billows noun US /ˈbɪloʊz/

plural of “billow” — a large sea wave

From this reading “And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.”

caverns noun US /ˈkævərnz/

plural of “cavern” — any large dark enclosed space

From this reading “And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.”

darker adjective US /ˈdɑːrkər/

comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black

From this reading “And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.”

drown verb US /draʊn/

cover completely or make imperceptible

From this reading “Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.”

fearful adjective US /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading “And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.”

gulfs noun US /ɡʌlfs/

plural of “gulf” — an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading “Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

AnonymousadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading -Anonymous.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

BeneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

billowsnounUS /ˈbɪloʊz/

plural of “billow” — a large sea wave

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

cavernsnounUS /ˈkævərnz/

plural of “cavern” — any large dark enclosed space

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

darkeradjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkər/

comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

drownverbUS /draʊn/

cover completely or make imperceptible

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

fearfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

gulfsnounUS /ɡʌlfs/

plural of “gulf” — an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

How

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

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

litght

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

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

noonnounUS /nuːn/

the middle of the day

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

Sorrow's

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

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading And dark though Sorrow's fearful billows be, They have caverns darker still.

topmostadjective

at or nearest to the top

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

wavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was nearly noon when Harry awoke.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Beneath the dark waves where the dead go down, There are gulfs of night more deep; But little they care, whom the waves once drown, How far from the litght they sleep.

WhosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading O God! that Sorrow's waves were like the sea, Whose topmost waters kill.

Chapter 12 of The Red Acorn by John McElroy holds 260 sentences, grouped into 52 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 12 of The Red Acorn contain?

Chapter 12 holds 260 sentences of The Red Acorn, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Red Acorn by John McElroy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 260 sentences, grouped into 52 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 12 of The Red Acorn?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Red Acorn

Common questions about reading The Red Acorn by John McElroy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red Acorn?

Yes. All 4141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2766 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red Acorn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2766, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red Acorn take to read?

About 345 minutes of reading across 829 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Red Acorn section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Red Acorn 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 Red Acorn

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

Perfect
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Acorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heaven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Acorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tries
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Acorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Earth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Acorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.