Chapter 3 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You angel!” he said. “No; that’s dangerous. We mightn’t like the brats. The boy’s name is Silas. I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
Chapter 3 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading ““You angel!” he said.”
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
plural of “brat” — a very troublesome child
From this reading “We mightn’t like the brats.”
an awkward and inexperienced youth
From this reading “I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.”
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading ““No; that’s dangerous.”
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “The boy’s name is Silas.”
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.”
be standing; be upright
From this reading “I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “You angel!” he said.
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boy’s name is Silas.
plural of “brat” — a very troublesome child
From this reading We mightn’t like the brats.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
an awkward and inexperienced youth
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading “No; that’s dangerous.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You angel!” he said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The boy’s name is Silas.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading We mightn’t like the brats.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We mightn’t like the brats.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The boy’s name is Silas.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
not any; not one
From this reading “No; that’s dangerous.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You angel!” he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The boy’s name is Silas.
be standing; be upright
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No; that’s dangerous.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We mightn’t like the brats.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I don’t think I could stand a cub named Silas.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We mightn’t like the brats.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You angel!” he said.
Chapter 3 of The Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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.
Chapter 3 holds 426 sentences of The Wisdom of Fools, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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.
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2520 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53579 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53579, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 504 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wisdom of Fools section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Wisdom of Fools to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wisdom of Fools, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
