Chapter 16 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now. Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late." Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest. "Can I go? Can I do anything?" he exclaimed.
Chapter 16 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
go or come after and bring or take back
From this reading “Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."”
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
a narrow way or road
From this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “"I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.”
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading “"I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.”
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
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 “Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."”
get going or set in motion
In this reading “Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.”
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.
anew
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
any thing at all
From this reading Can I do anything?" he exclaimed.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Can I go?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Can I do anything?" he exclaimed.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading Can I do anything?" he exclaimed.
go or come after and bring or take back
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Can I go?
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Can I do anything?" he exclaimed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
and nothing more
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
a narrow way or road
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
and nothing more
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
express in words
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading "I--I must see papa," wailed Netta again--"I did not think before--I have something to say--it only came just now.
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Mrs Lane started up and gazed wildly at her guest.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Oh, mother, you will fetch him before it is too late."
Chapter 16 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One by George Manville Fenn holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 16 holds 421 sentences of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Thereby Hangs a Tale. Volume One by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 16 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.
