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The Wizard
The Wizard

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wizard is here in full — 74 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wizard
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.
Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.
The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; clear and often repeated.
There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.
If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.
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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 Wizard

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wizard is here in full — 74 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.
/ˈtɑːməs ˈoʊən ˈtɑːməs ˈoʊən went tuː hɪz ruːm bʌt nɑːt tuː bed/
Line 2
Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.
/ˈteɪkɪŋ ə ˈbaɪbəl frʌm ðə ˈteɪbəl hiː kənˈsʌltəd ˈrefərəns ˈæftər ˈrefərəns/
Line 3
The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.
/ðə ˈprɑːməs ɪz klɪr hiː sed əˈlaʊd ˈprezəntli æz hiː ʃʌt ðə bʊk klɪr ənd ˈɔːfən rɪˈpiːtɪd/
Line 4
There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.
/ðer ɪz noʊ ɪˈskeɪp frʌm ɪt ənd noʊ ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː ʌv ə ˈdʌbəl ˈmiːnɪŋ/
Line 5
If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.
/ɪf ɪt ɪz nɑːt truː ðen ɪt wʊd siːm ðæt ˈnʌθɪŋ ɪz truː ənd ðæt ˈevəri ˈkrɪstʃən ɪn ðə wɜːrld ɪz trɪkt ənd dɪˈluːdɪd/

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.

Bible noun US /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

From this reading “Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.”

consulted verb US /kənˈsʌltəd/

past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading “Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.”

deluded verb US /dɪˈluːdɪd/

past form of “delude” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading “If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.”

owen noun US /ˈoʊən/

Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)

From this reading “THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.”

possibility noun US /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading “There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.”

reference noun US /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading “Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.”

thomas noun US /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading “THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.”

tricked verb US /trɪkt/

past form of “trick” — deceive somebody

From this reading “If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

BiblenounUS /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/

past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

deludedverbUS /dɪˈluːdɪd/

past form of “delude” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

OWENnounUS /ˈoʊən/

Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

possibilitynounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

referencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

repeatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

recurring again and again

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading “The promise is clear,” he said aloud presently, as he shut the book; “clear and often repeated.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

TakingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Taking a Bible from the table, he consulted reference after reference.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no escape from it, and no possibility of a double meaning.

THOMASnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

trickedverbUS /trɪkt/

past form of “trick” — deceive somebody

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading THOMAS OWEN Thomas Owen went to his room, but not to bed.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading If it is not true, then it would seem that nothing is true, and that every Christian in the world is tricked and deluded.

Chapter 2 of The Wizard by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 74 sentences, grouped into 15 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 2 of The Wizard contain?

Chapter 2 holds 74 sentences of The Wizard, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Wizard by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 74 sentences, grouped into 15 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 2 of The Wizard?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Wizard

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

Is this the complete text of The Wizard?

Yes. All 2704 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2893 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wizard is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2893, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wizard take to read?

About 225 minutes of reading across 541 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wizard section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Wizard 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 Wizard

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

Miracle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wizard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wizard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Still
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wizard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Possible
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wizard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.