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The Water-Babies
The Water-Babies

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Water-Babies is here in full — 344 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Water-Babies
Context Illustration Reading 1/68 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”
COLERIDGE.
[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.
You do not know what that means?
You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus Amphibious.
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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 Water-Babies

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Water-Babies is here in full — 344 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/68 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”
Line 2
COLERIDGE.
/ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/
Line 3
[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.
/ˈpɪktʃər ˈmɜːrmeɪd tɑːm wɑːz naʊ kwaɪt æmˈfɪbiəs/
Line 4
You do not know what that means?
/juː duː nɑːt noʊ wʌt ðæt miːnz/
Line 5
You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

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.

amphibious adjective US /æmˈfɪbiəs/

relating to or characteristic of animals of the class Amphibia

From this reading “[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.”

beast noun US /biːst/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading ““He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.””

bird noun US /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading ““He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.””

coleridge noun US /ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/

English romantic poet (1772-1834)

From this reading “COLERIDGE.”

Mermaid noun US /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

From this reading “[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.”

nearest adverb US /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading “You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.”

possibly adverb US /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

From this reading “You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.”

smartly adverb US /ˈsmɑːrtli/

in a clever manner

From this reading “You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

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 “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

amphibiousadjectiveUS /æmˈfɪbiəs/

relating to or characteristic of animals of the class Amphibia

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

beastnounUS /biːst/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

COLERIDGEnounUS /ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/

English romantic poet (1772-1834)

From this reading COLERIDGE.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading You do not know what that means?

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

GovernmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading You do not know what that means?

loveth

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading You do not know what that means?

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

MermaidnounUS /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You do not know what that means?

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

PicturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

prayeth

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

pupil-teacher

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

smartlyadverbUS /ˈsmɑːrtli/

in a clever manner

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You do not know what that means?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You do not know what that means?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You do not know what that means?

Chapter 3 of The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley holds 344 sentences, grouped into 69 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 3 of The Water-Babies contain?

Chapter 3 holds 344 sentences of The Water-Babies, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 344 sentences, grouped into 69 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 3 of The Water-Babies?

Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 69 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Water-Babies

Common questions about reading The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Water-Babies?

Yes. All 2578 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1018 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Water-Babies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1018, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Water-Babies take to read?

About 214 minutes of reading across 516 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Water-Babies section by section

How to work through The Water-Babies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Water-Babies 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 Water-Babies

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Water-Babies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Heard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water-Babies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thousand
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water-Babies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blended
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water-Babies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water-Babies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.