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The Works of Rudyard Kipling
The Works of Rudyard Kipling

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/90 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”
If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”
--The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.
Then came another Sunday.
He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Works of Rudyard Kipling

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/90 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”
Line 2
If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”
/ɪf ðaʊ hæst ˈteɪkən ðə ˈkɑːmən kleɪ ənd ðaɪ hændz biː nɑːt friː frʌm ðə teɪnt ʌv ðə sɔɪl ðaʊ hæst meɪd ðaɪ spɔɪl ðə ˈɡreɪtər ʃeɪm tuː ðiː/
Line 3
--The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.
/ðə tuː ˈpɑːtərz hiː dɪd noʊ wɜːrk ʌv ˈeni kaɪnd fɔːr ðə rest ʌv ðə wiːk/
Line 4
Then came another Sunday.
/ðen keɪm əˈnʌðər ˈsʌndeɪ/
Line 5
He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

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.

clay noun US /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading ““If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.””

dreaded adjective US /ˈdredɪd/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading “He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.”

longed verb US /lɔːŋd/

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading “He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.”

Potters noun US /ˈpɑːtərz/

plural of “potter” — a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter's wheel and bakes them it a kiln

From this reading “--The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.”

sketched verb US /sketʃt/

past form of “sketch” — make a sketch of

From this reading “He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.”

spoil verb US /spɔɪl/

make a mess of, destroy or ruin

From this reading ““If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.””

taint noun US /teɪnt/

the state of being contaminated

From this reading ““If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.””

wrought adjective US /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading ““If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.””

All words in this reading · 72

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 “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Then came another Sunday.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Then came another Sunday.

claynounUS /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

clodnoun

a compact mass

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

cunninglyadverb

in an attractive manner

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

DIDauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

digged

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

dreadedadjectiveUS /ˈdredɪd/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

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 “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

HEpronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

PottersnounUS /ˈpɑːtərz/

plural of “potter” — a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter's wheel and bakes them it a kiln

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

red-haired

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

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

shapenounUS /ʃeɪp/

any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

sketchedverbUS /sketʃt/

past form of “sketch” — make a sketch of

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

spoilverbUS /spɔɪl/

make a mess of, destroy or ruin

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading Then came another Sunday.

taintnounUS /teɪnt/

the state of being contaminated

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then came another Sunday.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He dreaded and longed for the day always, but since the red-haired girl had sketched him there was rather more dread than desire in his mind.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading “If thou hast taken the common clay, And thy hands be not free From the taint of the soil, thou hast made thy spoil The greater shame to thee.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

TwonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading --The Two Potters HE DID no work of any kind for the rest of the week.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading “If I have taken the common clay And wrought it cunningly In the shape of a god that was digged a clod, The greater honour to me.”

Chapter 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling by Rudyard Kipling holds 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling contain?

Chapter 9 holds 451 sentences of The Works of Rudyard Kipling, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 9 of The Works of Rudyard Kipling?

Work through the 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 91 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Works of Rudyard Kipling

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Is this the complete text of The Works of Rudyard Kipling?

Yes. All 9658 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of Rudyard Kipling is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2334, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1932 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Works of Rudyard Kipling

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of Rudyard Kipling, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Settled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Rudyard Kipling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Storm
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Rudyard Kipling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comf'y
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Rudyard Kipling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dears
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Rudyard Kipling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.