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Ting-a-ling
Ting-a-ling

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Ting-a-ling is here in full — 494 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ting-a-ling
Context Illustration Reading 1/98 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.
"And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.
"This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.
He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.
You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ting-a-ling

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Ting-a-ling is here in full — 494 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/98 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.
Line 2
"And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.
Line 3
"This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.
Line 4
He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.
/hiː hæz ˈnʌmbərz ʌv fɪrs sleɪvz ənd ə ɡreɪt ˈkæsəl/
Line 5
You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

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.

circumstance noun US /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading “"This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.”

dwarf noun US /dwɔːrf/

a person who is markedly small

From this reading “"This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.”

fierce adjective US /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading “He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.”

magician noun US /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/

A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.

From this reading “"And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.”

numbers noun US /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading “He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.”

slaves noun US /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading “He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.”

twisted adjective US /ˈtwɪstɪd/

having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented

From this reading “"This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.”

youngest adjective US /ˈjʌŋɡəst/

superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “"And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

circumstancenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

don't

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

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

dwarfnounUS /dwɔːrf/

a person who is markedly small

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

magiciannounUS /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/

A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

Nerralina's

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

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

numbersnounUS /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

PrincessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading He has numbers of fierce slaves, and a great castle.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

Ting-a-ling

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

From this reading "I shall go there right off," said Ting-a-ling.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You are a good little fellow, but I don't think you could do much for the Princess, if you did go to her."

twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/

having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "This dwarf is a terrible little fellow, and the same one who twisted poor Nerralina's head, which circumstance of course you remember.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

youngestadjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡəst/

superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

Zamcar

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

From this reading "And what will you do when you get there?" said the youngest magician, whose name was Zamcar.

Chapter 2 of Ting-a-ling by Frank R. Stockton holds 494 sentences, grouped into 99 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 2 of Ting-a-ling contain?

Chapter 2 holds 494 sentences of Ting-a-ling, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Ting-a-ling by Frank R. Stockton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 494 sentences, grouped into 99 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 2 of Ting-a-ling?

Work through the 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 99 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Ting-a-ling

Common questions about reading Ting-a-ling by Frank R. Stockton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ting-a-ling?

Yes. All 1453 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20836 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ting-a-ling is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20836, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ting-a-ling take to read?

About 121 minutes of reading across 291 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ting-a-ling section by section

How to work through Ting-a-ling section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Ting-a-ling 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 Ting-a-ling

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ting-a-ling, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Frank
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ting-a-ling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stockton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ting-a-ling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ting-a-ling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scribner's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ting-a-ling; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.