The Wanderer's Necklace

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Wanderer's Necklace

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

What happened in the tomb after Heliodore had ended her tale; whether we departed thence together or left her there a while; how we escaped from Kurna, and by what good fortune or artifice we came safely to Alexandria, I know not.

As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XX Reading 1/73

The Wanderer's Necklace H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

Chapter XX

Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story. One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path. It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man. What happened in the tomb after Heliodore had ended her tale; whether we departed thence together or left her there a while; how we escaped from Kurna, and by what good fortune or artifice we came safely to Alexandria, I know not. As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

The Wanderer's Necklace

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

Line 2

One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

/wʌn ʌv ðoʊz wɔːlz ʌv əˈblɪviən ʌv wɪtʃ aɪ hæv ˈspoʊkən siːmz tuː biː bɪlt əˈkrɔːs ɪts pæθ/

Line 3

It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

/ɪt ɪz æz ðoʊ ə striːm hæd plʌndʒd ˈsʌdənli frʌm sʌm braɪt ˈvæli ˈɪntuː ðə ˈbʊzəm ʌv ə ˈmaʊntən saɪd ənd ðer ˈvænɪʃt frʌm ðə ken ʌv mæn/

Line 4

Line 5

As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

/æz tuː ɔːl ðiːz ˈmætərz maɪ ˈvɪʒən feɪlz miː ˈʌtərli/

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.

Alexandria noun US /ˌæləɡˈzændriə/

a town in Louisiana on the Red River

From this reading “What happened in the tomb after Heliodore had ended her tale; whether we departed thence together or left her there a while; how we escaped from Kurna, and by what good fortune or artifice we came safely to Alexandria, I know not.”

artifice noun US /ˈɑːrtəfɪs/

a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)

blank adjective US /blæŋk/

(of a surface) not written or printed on

From this reading “THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.”

caliph noun US /ˈkæləf/

the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth

From this reading “THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.”

fails verb US /feɪlz/

third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading “As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.”

ken noun US /ken/

range of what one can know or understand

From this reading “It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.”

oblivion noun US /əˈblɪviən/

the state of being disregarded or forgotten

From this reading “One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.”

tomb noun US /tuːm/

a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)

All words in this reading · 83

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 It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading What happened in the tomb after Heliodore had ended her tale; whether we departed thence together or left her there a while; how we escaped from Kurna, and by what good fortune or artifice we came safely to Alexandria, I know not.

AlexandrianounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændriə/

a town in Louisiana on the Red River

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

artificenounUS /ˈɑːrtəfɪs/

a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/

(of a surface) not written or printed on

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

bosomnounUS /ˈbʊzəm/

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

CALIPHnounUS /ˈkæləf/

the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/

having come or been brought to a conclusion

escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/

having escaped, especially from confinement

failsverbUS /feɪlz/

third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

HARUN

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

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

Heliodore

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

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

how

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

kennounUS /ken/

range of what one can know or understand

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

Kurna

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

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

oblivionnounUS /əˈblɪviən/

the state of being disregarded or forgotten

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

plungedverbUS /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

safelyadverbUS /ˈseɪfli/

with safety; in a safe manner

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

thenceadverbUS /ðens/

from that place or that time

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE CALIPH HARUN Here there is an absolute blank in my story.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

tombnounUS /tuːm/

a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)

utterlyadverbUS /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

valleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

vanishedadjectiveUS /ˈvænɪʃt/

having passed out of existence

From this reading It is as though a stream had plunged suddenly from some bright valley into the bosom of a mountain side and there vanished from the ken of man.

visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/

a vivid mental image

From this reading As to all these matters my vision fails me utterly.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading One of those walls of oblivion of which I have spoken seems to be built across its path.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

Chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace contain?

Chapter 20 holds 367 sentences of The Wanderer's Necklace, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Wanderer's Necklace

Common questions about reading The Wanderer's Necklace by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wanderer's Necklace?

Yes. All 5414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3097 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wanderer's Necklace is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3097, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wanderer's Necklace take to read?

About 451 minutes of reading across 1083 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wanderer's Necklace section by section

How to work through The Wanderer's Necklace section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Wanderer's Necklace to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Wanderer's Necklace

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wanderer's Necklace, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Childhood: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wanderer's Necklace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Regain: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wanderer's Necklace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wanderer's Necklace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
However: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wanderer's Necklace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

What does chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace contain?

How do I study chapter 20 of The Wanderer's Necklace?

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Wanderer's Necklace

How to read The Wanderer's Necklace section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Wanderer's Necklace