Chapter 9 of The Ship of Stars is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Ship of Stars is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A HAPPY DAY. A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane. Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window. Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth. “Wake up!
Chapter 9 of The Ship of Stars is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
a wicker basket used by anglers to hold fish
From this reading “Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.”
plural of “gasp” — a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading “Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.”
the distance around a person's body
From this reading “Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.”
sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading “A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.”
inflected form of “strap” — tie with a strap
From this reading “Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.”
chewy candy of sugar or syrup boiled until thick and pulled until glossy
From this reading “Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.”
a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
From this reading “Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.”
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading “A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.”
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 A HAPPY DAY.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
a wicker basket used by anglers to hold fish
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A HAPPY DAY.
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
plural of “gasp” — a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
the distance around a person's body
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading A HAPPY DAY.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
plural of “rod” — a long thin implement made of metal or wood
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
having a supporting base
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
inflected form of “strap” — tie with a strap
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
chewy candy of sugar or syrup boiled until thick and pulled until glossy
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading A volley of sand darkened and shook the pane.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading “Wake up!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
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 Taffy, sponging himself in his tub and singing between his gasps, looked up hastily, then flung a big towel about him and ran to the window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Honoria was standing below; and Comedy, her gray pony, with a creel and a couple of fishing rods strapped to his canvas girth.
Chapter 9 of The Ship of Stars by Arthur Quiller-Couch holds 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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.
Chapter 9 holds 249 sentences of The Ship of Stars, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Ship of Stars by Arthur Quiller-Couch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 9 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 Ship of Stars by Arthur Quiller-Couch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16000 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16000, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 408 minutes of reading across 980 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ship of Stars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Ship of Stars 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 Ship of Stars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
