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The robbers' cave
The robbers' cave

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The robbers' cave is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The robbers' cave
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A. L. O. E.
CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!
Can't he drive fasterkeeping us grilling here in the heat!
I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"
Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.
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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 robbers' cave

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The robbers' cave is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A. L. O. E.
/ə el oʊ iː/
Line 2
CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!
Line 3
Can't he drive fasterkeeping us grilling here in the heat!
Line 4
I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"
/aɪ ʃʊd laɪk tuː hæv ðə juːs ʌv hɪz wɪp fɔːr ə fjuː ˈmɪnəts ənd traɪ ɪts ɪˈfekt əˈpɑːn hɪz ˈʃoʊldərz/
Line 5
Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.
/sʌtʃ wɑːz ðə ˌɪmˈpeɪʃənt ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən ʌv ˈhɔːrəs ˈkliːvlənd æz fɔːr ðə θɜːrd taɪm hiː θrʌst hɪz hed aʊt ʌv ðə ˈkærɪdʒ ˈwɪndoʊ/

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.

Association noun US /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/

a formal organization of people or groups of people

From this reading “CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!”

chicago noun US /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading “CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!”

Cleveland noun US /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

grilling noun US /ˈɡrɪlɪŋ/

cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill)

From this reading “Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!”

Horace noun US /ˈhɔːrəs/

Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)

From this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

Institute verb US /ˈɪnstətuːt/

set up or lay the groundwork for

From this reading “CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!”

Lazy adjective US /ˈleɪzi/

moving slowly and gently

From this reading “CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!”

Wells noun US /welz/

prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

From this reading “CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!”

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.

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"”

impatient exclamation adjective + noun

In this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

third time noun + noun

In this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

carriage window noun + noun

In this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

for the third preposition + article + noun counted as “for … third”

In this reading “Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

843

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

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

845

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

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A. L. O. E.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

AssociationnounUS /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/

a formal organization of people or groups of people

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

BiblenounUS /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

Can't

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

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

CHICAGOnounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

ClevelandnounUS /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

Colportage

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

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading A. L. O. E.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/

an abrupt excited utterance

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

fasteradverbUS /ˈfæstər/

more quickly

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

grillingnounUS /ˈɡrɪlɪŋ/

cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill)

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/

Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

impatientadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃənt/

restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

InstituteverbUS /ˈɪnstətuːt/

set up or lay the groundwork for

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

keepingnounUS /ˈkiːpɪŋ/

conformity or harmony

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading A. L. O. E.

LazyadjectiveUS /ˈleɪzi/

moving slowly and gently

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

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 A. L. O. E.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

StreetnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Can't he drive faster—keeping us grilling here in the heat!

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

WellsnounUS /welz/

prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

From this reading CHICAGO The Bible Institute Colportage Association 843-845 North Wells Street "Lazy dog!

whipverbUS /wɪp/

beat severely with a whip or rod

From this reading I should like to have the use of his whip for a few minutes and try its effect upon his shoulders!"

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Such was the impatient exclamation of Horace Cleveland, as for the third time he thrust his head out of the carriage window.

Chapter 1 of The robbers' cave by A. L. O. E. holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 robbers' cave contain?

Chapter 1 holds 91 sentences of The robbers' cave, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The robbers' cave by A. L. O. E. exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 robbers' cave?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 robbers' cave

Common questions about reading The robbers' cave by A. L. O. E. on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The robbers' cave?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The robbers' cave is used?

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

How long does The robbers' cave take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The robbers' cave section by section

How to work through The robbers' cave section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The robbers' cave

Words and structures a reader meets early in The robbers' cave, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The robbers' cave, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The robbers' cave, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.