Chapter 1 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Volume 1, Chapter I. A PEEP AT TOLCARNE. "Ed--Ward!" "Yes, mum." A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
Chapter 1 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading “Volume 1, Chapter I.”
a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores
From this reading “A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.”
failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to
From this reading “"Yes, mum."”
look furtively
From this reading “A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.”
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading “A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.”
not moving or operating freely
From this reading “A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.”
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “Volume 1, Chapter I.”
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading “"Ed--Ward!"”
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.
In this reading “A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.”
In this reading “A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Volume 1, Chapter I.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading Volume 1, Chapter I.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis
From this reading "Ed--Ward!"
a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Volume 1, Chapter I.
failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to
From this reading "Yes, mum."
look furtively
From this reading A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
not moving or operating freely
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A PEEP AT TOLCARNE.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading A stiff, high-shouldered footman turned round as he reached the breakfast-room door.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading Volume 1, Chapter I.
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading "Ed--Ward!"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, mum."
Chapter 1 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One by George Manville Fenn holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 1 holds 394 sentences of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 1 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 Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6449 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32929 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32929, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 537 minutes of reading across 1290 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One 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 Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
