Chapter 4 of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What then?" said the Lion. "Then two escaped," said the Fox. "What then?" asked the impatient Lion. "Then three escaped," said the Fox. Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
Chapter 4 of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/69 · 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.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading “"Then two escaped," said the Fox.”
alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading “"Then two escaped," said the Fox.”
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading “"What then?" asked the impatient Lion.”
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading “Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.”
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading “"What then?" said the Lion.”
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading “Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.”
an instance of questioning
From this reading “Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.”
recurring again and again
From this reading “Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What then?" asked the impatient Lion.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading "Then two escaped," said the Fox.
alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading "Then two escaped," said the Fox.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading "What then?" asked the impatient Lion.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading "What then?" said the Lion.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
an instance of questioning
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
recurring again and again
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "What then?" said the Lion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What then?" said the Lion.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "What then?" said the Lion.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "Then three escaped," said the Fox.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus, as often as the Lion repeated his query, the Fox increased the number by one, and said as many escaped.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "Then two escaped," said the Fox.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What then?" said the Lion.
Chapter 4 of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom by Kate Douglas Smith [Editor] Wiggin holds 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 4 holds 348 sentences of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom by Kate Douglas Smith [Editor] Wiggin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 70 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 4 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 Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom by Kate Douglas Smith [Editor] Wiggin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3679 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13815 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13815, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 306 minutes of reading across 736 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom 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 Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
