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Thy Rocks and Rills
Thy Rocks and Rills

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thy Rocks and Rills
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.
Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.
He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."
L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.
The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.
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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.

Thy Rocks and Rills

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.
Line 2
Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.
Line 3
He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."
Line 4
L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.
Line 5
The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

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.

absorb verb US /əbˈzɔːrb/

become imbued

From this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

brim noun US /brɪm/

the top edge of a vessel or other container

From this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

destinies noun US /ˈdestəniz/

plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

flickered verb US /ˈflɪkərd/

past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly

From this reading “L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.”

gloved adjective US /ɡlʌvd/

having the hands covered with gloves

From this reading “The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.”

puppy noun US /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading “The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.”

reed noun US /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

streaking verb US /ˈstriːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “streak” — move quickly in a straight line

From this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

gloved hand adjective + noun

In this reading “The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.”

red handkerchief noun + noun

In this reading “Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

1

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

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

absorbverbUS /əbˈzɔːrb/

become imbued

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

AgenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

animalsnounUS /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

brimnounUS /brɪm/

the top edge of a vessel or other container

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

bullnounUS /bʊl/

uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

curlsnounUS /kɜːrlz/

plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

Dan

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

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

Dan's

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

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

destiniesnounUS /ˈdestəniz/

plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

extendedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstendəd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/

past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

glovedadjectiveUS /ɡlʌvd/

having the hands covered with gloves

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

growledverbUS /ɡraʊld/

past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

handkerchiefnounUS /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/

a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

inevitablyadverbUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbli/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

liftedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪftəd/

held up in the air

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

ManlyadjectiveUS /ˈmænli/

possessing qualities befitting a man

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

marchedverbUS /mɑːrtʃt/

past form of “march” — march in a procession

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

Moe

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/

plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

perspirationnounUS /ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

pup'll

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

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

puppynounUS /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

reednounUS /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

Sidenote

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

similaradjectiveUS /ˈsɪmələr/

marked by correspondence or resemblance

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

squareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

Stonecypher

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

streakingverbUS /ˈstriːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “streak” — move quickly in a straight line

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

sunlightnounUS /ˈsʌnlaɪt/

the rays of the sun

From this reading L. Dan's golden curls flickered in July 1 sunlight.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

thrillnounUS /θrɪl/

the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading He said, "The pup'll make a good guard, 'especially for thrill parties."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

TogetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The puppy growled when Dan extended a gloved hand.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading [Sidenote: _They were out of place in the Manly Age--Stonecypher, a man who loved animals; Moe, a bull who hated men.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Together, they marched to inevitably similar destinies...._] M. Stonecypher lifted his reed sun hat with the square brim, and used a red handkerchief to absorb the perspiration streaking his forehead.

Chapter 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills by Robert E. Gilbert holds 446 sentences, grouped into 90 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.

What does chapter 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills contain?

Chapter 1 holds 446 sentences of Thy Rocks and Rills, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills by Robert E. Gilbert exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 446 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 of Thy Rocks and Rills?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Thy Rocks and Rills

Common questions about reading Thy Rocks and Rills by Robert E. Gilbert on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thy Rocks and Rills?

Yes. All 880 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32878 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thy Rocks and Rills is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32878, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thy Rocks and Rills take to read?

About 73 minutes of reading across 176 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thy Rocks and Rills section by section

How to work through Thy Rocks and Rills section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Thy Rocks and Rills 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 Thy Rocks and Rills

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thy Rocks and Rills, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sidenote
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thy Rocks and Rills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Place
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thy Rocks and Rills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Manly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thy Rocks and Rills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Age--stonecypher
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thy Rocks and Rills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.