Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Strange Adventures of a Pebble
The Strange Adventures of a Pebble

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Strange Adventures of a Pebble
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
(JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.
--_Genesis_ 1:1-2.
IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!
From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.
HOW MR.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Strange Adventures of a Pebble

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
(JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.
/ˈdʒænjuːeri ɪn ðə bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ ðə ɜːrθ wɑːz wɪˈθaʊt fɔːrm ənd vɔɪd/
Line 2
--_Genesis_ 1:1-2.
Line 3
IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!
Line 4
From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.
Line 5
HOW MR.

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.

earliest adjective US /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading “From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.”

Genesis noun US /ˈdʒenəsəs/

a coming into being

happening noun US /ˈhæpənɪŋ/

an event that happens

From this reading “From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.”

january noun US /ˈdʒænjuːeri/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading “(JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.”

ours pronoun US /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading “From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.”

void adjective US /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading “(JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.”

wildest adjective US /ˈwaɪldɪst/

superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading “From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.”

Worlds noun US /wɜːrldz/

plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!”

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.

in the midst preposition + article + noun counted as “in … midst”

the middle or central part or point

In this reading “From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

1

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

From this reading --_Genesis_ 1:1-2.

2

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

From this reading --_Genesis_ 1:1-2.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

BornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

GenesisnounUS /ˈdʒenəsəs/

a coming into being

From this reading --_Genesis_ 1:1-2.

happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/

an event that happens

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

How

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

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

I've

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

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

JANUARYnounUS /ˈdʒænjuːeri/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading HOW MR.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

MyselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

pebblehood

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

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

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 IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

wildestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪldɪst/

superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading (JANUARY) In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading From my earliest pebblehood the wildest things you could imagine have been happening to this world of ours, and I have been right in the midst of them.

WorldsnounUS /wɜːrldz/

plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading IN THE BEGINNING I. How the Worlds and Myself Were Born I've been through fire and water, _I_ tell you!

Chapter 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble by Hallam Hawksworth holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble contain?

Chapter 2 holds 218 sentences of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble by Hallam Hawksworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 2 of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Strange Adventures of a Pebble

Common questions about reading The Strange Adventures of a Pebble by Hallam Hawksworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble?

Yes. All 3113 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66818 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66818, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Strange Adventures of a Pebble take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 623 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Strange Adventures of a Pebble section by section

How to work through The Strange Adventures of a Pebble section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble 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 Strange Adventures of a Pebble

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Strange Adventures of a Pebble, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Purpose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Present
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chief
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strange Adventures of a Pebble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.