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The trumpeter of Krakow
The trumpeter of Krakow

Chapter XI · The Evil One Takes a Hand

Chapter XI of The trumpeter of Krakow, “The Evil One Takes a Hand,” is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 11 of The trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. (Eric Philbrook) Kelly holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 11 of The trumpeter of Krakow contain?

Chapter 11 holds 150 sentences of The trumpeter of Krakow, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. (Eric Philbrook) Kelly exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 11 of The trumpeter of Krakow?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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.

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Is this the complete text of The trumpeter of Krakow?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The trumpeter of Krakow

Words and structures a reader meets early in The trumpeter of Krakow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The trumpeter of Krakow, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The trumpeter of Krakow, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The trumpeter of Krakow, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Cover illustration for The trumpeter of Krakow
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.
Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.
In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.
Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.
For a moment Peter stood motionless.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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The trumpeter of Krakow

Chapter XI · The Evil One Takes a Hand

Chapter XI of The trumpeter of Krakow, “The Evil One Takes a Hand,” is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.
Line 2
Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.
Line 3
In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.
Line 4
Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.
Line 5
For a moment Peter stood motionless.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.”

Below preposition US /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading “In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.”

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.”

Through preposition US /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading “Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.”

All words in this reading · 73

Every word is available to listen to. 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 For a moment Peter stood motionless.

air

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

away

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

Balls

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

bottom

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

burst

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

casement

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

clinging

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

door

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

explosions

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

fiery

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

fire

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

flooding

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

four

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

fright

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

guard

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

half-wit

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

horror-struck

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

landing

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

legs

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

light

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

loft

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

lower

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

make

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

men

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

moment

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

From this reading For a moment Peter stood motionless.

motionless

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

From this reading For a moment Peter stood motionless.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

opened

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

opportunity

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

out

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

Peter

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

place

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

recoiled

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

red

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

room

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

rushed

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

see

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

seized

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

shooting

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

slink

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

stairs

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

standing

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

From this reading In the light Peter could see his men standing horror-struck, four below him at the bottom of the stairs, and four on guard at the door.

staring

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

Stas

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

stealthily

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

steps

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

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

terrific

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Peter rushed to the door and stood, staring.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Those who had been clinging to Stas on the landing had recoiled in fright before the fiery balls, and the half-wit had seized the opportunity to slink stealthily away through their legs, and make for the lower steps.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Balls of red fire were shooting out into the air from the opened casement of the room in the loft, flooding the place with light as they burst with terrific explosions.