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The Story of Gösta Berling
The Story of Gösta Berling

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!
It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.
The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.
He must walk and not ride.
He must beg.
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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 Story of Gösta Berling

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!
Line 2
It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.
Line 3
The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.
/ðə ˈpenɪtɪnt mʌst wer ə kɔːrs kloʊk ənd laɪv ɑːn ˈwɔːtər ənd draɪ bred ˈiːvɪn ɪf hiː wɜːr ə kɪŋ/
Line 4
He must walk and not ride.
/hiː mʌst wɔːk ənd nɑːt raɪd/
Line 5
He must beg.
/hiː mʌst beɡ/

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.

coarse adjective US /kɔːrs/

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading “The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.”

defence noun US /dɪˈfens/

(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

distressed adjective US /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

holds noun US /hoʊldz/

plural of “hold” — the act of grasping

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

lets noun US /lets/

plural of “let” — a brutal terrorist group active in Kashmir; fights against India with the goal of restoring Islamic rule of India

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

penitent noun US /ˈpenɪtɪnt/

(Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor)

From this reading “It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.”

pitiful adjective US /ˈpɪtəfəl/

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

wretch noun US /retʃ/

performs some wicked deed

From this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

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.

dry bread noun + noun

In this reading “The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.”

Dear friends adjective + noun counted as “dear friend”

In this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

hang on verb + particle

fix to; attach

In this reading “PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!”

live on verb + particle

continue to live and avoid dying

In this reading “The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading He must beg.

breadnounUS /bred/

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

callsnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

cloaknounUS /kloʊk/

anything that covers or conceals

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

creaturenounUS /ˈkriːtʃər/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

defencenounUS /dɪˈfens/

(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

destructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/

the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

distressedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

hangverbUS /hæŋ/

be suspended or hanging

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

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 PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

heatnounUS /hiːt/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

holdsnounUS /hoʊldz/

plural of “hold” — the act of grasping

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

holynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

letsnounUS /lets/

plural of “let” — a brutal terrorist group active in Kashmir; fights against India with the goal of restoring Islamic rule of India

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

PENITENCEnoun

remorse for your past conduct

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

penitentnounUS /ˈpenɪtɪnt/

(Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor)

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

pitifuladjectiveUS /ˈpɪtəfəl/

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

protectionnounUS /prəˈtekʃən/

the activity of protecting someone or something

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading He must walk and not ride.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

sepulchrenoun

a chamber that is used as a grave

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading It is a penitent, do you understand?—a penitent on his way to the holy sepulchre.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading He must walk and not ride.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

wearverbUS /wer/

be dressed in

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The penitent must wear a coarse cloak and live on water and dry bread, even if he were a king.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

wretchnounUS /retʃ/

performs some wicked deed

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading PENITENCE Dear friends, if it should ever happen that you meet a pitiful wretch on your way, a little distressed creature, who lets his hat hang on his back and holds his shoes in his hand, so as not to have any protection from the heat of the sun and the stones of the road, one without defence, who of his own free will calls down destruction on his head,—well, pass him by in silent fear!

Chapter 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling by Selma Lagerlöf holds 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling contain?

Chapter 17 holds 264 sentences of The Story of Gösta Berling, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling by Selma Lagerlöf exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 17 of The Story of Gösta Berling?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Story of Gösta Berling

Common questions about reading The Story of Gösta Berling by Selma Lagerlöf on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Story of Gösta Berling?

Yes. All 9029 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56158 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Story of Gösta Berling is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56158, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Story of Gösta Berling take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1806 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Story of Gösta Berling section by section

How to work through The Story of Gösta Berling section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Story of Gösta Berling 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 Story of Gösta Berling

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Story of Gösta Berling, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Gösta Berling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Swedish
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Gösta Berling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Selma
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Gösta Berling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lagerl
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Gösta Berling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.