Chapter 3 of Three Boys is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Three Boys is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself. "I meant the bagpipes. Donald is our piper." "Your piper! How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
Chapter 3 of Three Boys is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “abomination” — a person who is loathsome or disgusting
From this reading “How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.”
plural of “bagpipe” — a tubular wind instrument; the player blows air into a bag and squeezes it out through the drone
From this reading “"I meant the bagpipes.”
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading “"Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.”
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading “How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.”
street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate
From this reading “How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.”
someone who plays the bagpipe
From this reading “Donald is our piper."”
-ing form of “restrain” — to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading “"Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.”
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading “How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.”
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 How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
plural of “abomination” — a person who is loathsome or disgusting
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
plural of “bagpipe” — a tubular wind instrument; the player blows air into a bag and squeezes it out through the drone
From this reading "I meant the bagpipes.
a city district of central London laid out in garden squares
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
reed pipe with finger holes on which the melody is played
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Donald is our piper."
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
the act of departing
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
with gusto and without reservation
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
provoking horror
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Donald is our piper."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I meant the bagpipes.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Donald is our piper."
a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
someone who plays the bagpipe
From this reading Donald is our piper."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
-ing form of “restrain” — to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
express in words
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I meant the bagpipes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
which person or people
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
in the company of; together with
From this reading How--" Max was going to say horrible, as he recalled one of his pet abominations, a dirty, kilted and plaided Scotchman, who made night hideous about the Bloomsbury squares with his chanter and drone.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Oh, I say, you are comic!" said Kenneth, laughing heartily, and then restraining himself.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your piper!
Chapter 3 of Three Boys by George Manville Fenn holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 416 sentences of Three Boys, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Three Boys by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Three Boys by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5743 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21319 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21319, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 478 minutes of reading across 1149 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Three Boys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Three Boys 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 Three Boys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
