Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories
The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.
That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.
Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.
How much you have cared!” he said.
Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.
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 Troll Garden, and Selected Stories

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.
Line 2
That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.
Line 3
Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.
Line 4
How much you have cared!” he said.
Line 5
Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

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.

Worn verb US /wɔːrn/

Damaged or thinned by continuous use.

From this reading “That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.”

All words in this reading · 94

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.

a

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

able

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

Ah

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

amused

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

and

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

as

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

at

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

be

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

bitter

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

bright

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

but

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

can't

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

cared

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

certain

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

changed

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

closing

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

comfort

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

completely

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

critic

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

dropped

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

even

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

Everett

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

eyes

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

face

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

garment

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

gave

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

glittering

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

gradually

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

had

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

hand

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

hard

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

have

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

he

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

head

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

her

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

herself

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

his

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

How

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

humor

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

I

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

imagine

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

in

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

ironical

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

is

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

it

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

know

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

like

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

line

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

lines

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

long-drawn

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

looked

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

looking

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

lying

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

many

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

mask

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

mirror

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

much

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

not

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

observer

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

of

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

old

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

on

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

perfectly

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

relief

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

replied

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

rug

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

said

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

sat

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

satirist

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

saw

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

scathing

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

She

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

sigh

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

smile

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

so

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

someone

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

still

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

tell

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

That

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

the

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

through

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

to

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

upon

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

From this reading Everett dropped his head upon his hand and sat looking at the rug.

weakness

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

went

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

what

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

when

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

which

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

with

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

wornverbUS /wɔːrn/

Damaged or thinned by continuous use.

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

wrapped

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

From this reading She gave the old line with a certain bitter humor, and with the hard, bright smile in which of old she had wrapped her weakness as in a glittering garment.

years

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

From this reading That ironical smile, worn like a mask through so many years, had gradually changed even the lines of her face completely, and when she looked in the mirror she saw not herself, but the scathing critic, the amused observer and satirist of herself.

yes

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

From this reading “Ah, yes, I cared,” she replied, closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh of relief; and lying perfectly still, she went on: “You can't imagine what a comfort it is to have you know how I cared, what a relief it is to be able to tell it to someone.

you

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

From this reading “How much you have cared!” he said.

Chapter 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories by Willa Cather holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories contain?

Chapter 21 holds 183 sentences of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories by Willa Cather exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 21 of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Troll Garden, and Selected Stories

Common questions about reading The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories by Willa Cather on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories?

Yes. All 4581 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #346, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories section by section

How to work through The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories 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 Troll Garden, and Selected Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Divide
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hermannson's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enchanted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bluff
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Troll Garden, and Selected Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.