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The Red Axe
The Red Axe

Chapter XXXV · Chapter 35

Chapter 35 of The Red Axe is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Red Axe
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.
I knew not what to do nor where to turn.
I could neither think nor speak.
But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.
Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.
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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 Axe

Chapter XXXV · Chapter 35

Chapter 35 of The Red Axe is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.
Line 2
I knew not what to do nor where to turn.
/aɪ nuː nɑːt wʌt tuː duː nɔːr wer tuː tɜːrn/
Line 3
I could neither think nor speak.
/aɪ kʊd ˈniːðər θɪŋk nɔːr spiːk/
Line 4
But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.
Line 5
Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

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.

chanced verb US /tʃænst/

past form of “chance” — be the case by chance

From this reading “But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dazed adjective US /deɪzd/

in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock

From this reading “THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
raising noun US /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading “Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
serpent's noun US /ˈsɜːrpənts/

possessive form of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading “THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strife noun US /straɪf/

lack of agreement or harmony

From this reading “THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Thor noun US /θɔːr/

(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar

From this reading “But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toiled verb US /tɔɪld/

past form of “toil” — work hard

From this reading “THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vainly adverb US /ˈveɪnli/

to no avail

From this reading “THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 62

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AlmostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chancedverbUS /tʃænst/

past form of “chance” — be the case by chance

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
choicenounUS /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I could neither think nor speak.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
DazedadjectiveUS /deɪzd/

in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
death-stricken

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

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Pending verification
Dessauer

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

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Pending verification
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gerard

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

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Pending verification
hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hastenedverbUS /ˈheɪsənd/

past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knockernoun

(Yiddish) a big shot who knows it and acts that way; a boastful immoderate person

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MasternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading I could neither think nor speak.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
raisingnounUS /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SERPENT'SnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənts/

possessive form of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading I could neither think nor speak.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STRIFEnounUS /straɪf/

lack of agreement or harmony

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sturm

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

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Pending verification
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I could neither think nor speak.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThornounUS /θɔːr/

(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toiledverbUS /tɔɪld/

past form of “toil” — work hard

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/

to no avail

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
von

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

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Pending verification
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Weiss

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

From this reading But it chanced that my steps brought me to the house of the Weiss Thor.

Pending verification
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading I knew not what to do nor where to turn.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE SERPENT'S STRIFE Dazed and death-stricken by the horror of the choice which lay before me, I hastened down the street, hardly waiting for Dessauer, who toiled vainly after me.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Almost without any will of mine own I found myself raising the knocker of the house of Master Gerard von Sturm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 35 of The Red Axe by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 35 of The Red Axe contain?

Chapter 35 holds 83 sentences of The Red Axe, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 35 of The Red Axe by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 35 of The Red Axe?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 35 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 35 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 Axe

Common questions about reading The Red Axe by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red Axe?

Yes. All 5927 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12191 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red Axe is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12191, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red Axe take to read?

About 493 minutes of reading across 1186 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Red Axe section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Red Axe 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 Axe

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

Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Axe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Playmate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Axe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Axe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Session
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Axe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.