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The Water of the Wondrous Isles
The Water of the Wondrous Isles

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Water of the Wondrous Isles is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Morris • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Water of the Wondrous Isles
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.
Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.
Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.
CATCH AT UTTERHAY.
Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.
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 Water of the Wondrous Isles

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Water of the Wondrous Isles is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.
Line 2
Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.
Line 3
Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.
Line 4
CATCH AT UTTERHAY.
Line 5
Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

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.

Abode noun US /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bight noun US /baɪt/

a loop in a rope

From this reading “Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
captivity noun US /kæpˈtɪvəti/

the state of being imprisoned

From this reading “Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fellowship noun US /ˈfeloʊʃɪp/

an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

From this reading “The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
highway noun US /ˈhaɪweɪ/

a major road for any form of motor transport

From this reading “Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Journeying noun US /ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ/

the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading “Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Seventh adjective US /ˈsevənθ/

coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position

From this reading “The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walled verb US /wɔːld/

past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify

From this reading “Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 65

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 Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AbodenounUS /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asketh

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Pending verification
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading CATCH AT UTTERHAY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bightnounUS /baɪt/

a loop in a rope

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Birdalone

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Pending verification
builded

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Pending verification
CAPTIVITYnounUS /kæpˈtɪvəti/

the state of being imprisoned

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CATCHverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading CATCH AT UTTERHAY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cheaping-town

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Pending verification
concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CounselnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a lawyer who pleads cases in court

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DaysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Evilshaw

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

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

Pending verification
FellowshipnounUS /ˈfeloʊʃɪp/

an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hight

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Pending verification
highwaynounUS /ˈhaɪweɪ/

a major road for any form of motor transport

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hugh

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JourneyingnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ/

the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MatternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mountainsnounUS /ˈmaʊntənz/

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PartnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReturningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeventhadjectiveUS /ˈsevənθ/

coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
taketh

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

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

Pending verification
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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellsnounUS /telz/

plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TownnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/

an old word for “to”

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Utterhay

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

From this reading Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.

Pending verification
walledverbUS /wɔːld/

past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Whilom

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

From this reading Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

Pending verification
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Wood-mother

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

From this reading Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh Chapter III.

Pending verification
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be Chapter II.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 3 of The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris holds 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 3 of The Water of the Wondrous Isles contain?

Chapter 3 holds 70 sentences of The Water of the Wondrous Isles, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 of the Wondrous Isles?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 of the Wondrous Isles

Common questions about reading The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Water of the Wondrous Isles?

Yes. All 4187 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8778 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Water of the Wondrous Isles is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8778, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Water of the Wondrous Isles take to read?

About 348 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Water of the Wondrous Isles section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Water of the Wondrous Isles 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 of the Wondrous Isles

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Water of the Wondrous Isles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water of the Wondrous Isles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crafts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water of the Wondrous Isles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birdalone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water of the Wondrous Isles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Meets
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Water of the Wondrous Isles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.