Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Vikram and the Vampire
Vikram and the Vampire

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Vikram and the Vampire is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Vikram and the Vampire
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To return, however.
The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.
This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.
Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.
After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.
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.

Vikram and the Vampire

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Vikram and the Vampire is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
To return, however.
/tuː rɪˈtɜːrn ˌhaʊˈevər/
Line 2
The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.
Line 3
This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.
Line 4
Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.
Line 5
After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.
/ˈæftər ðə ten naɪts ʌv ˈmuːnlaɪt hæd pæst ðə oʊld nɜːrs wɑːz əˈɡen sent tuː ðə ˈpæləs wɪð ðə ˈjuːʒəwəl ˈmesədʒ/

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.

availed verb US /əˈveɪld/

past form of “avail” — use to one's advantage

From this reading “The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.”

blindly adverb US /ˈblaɪndli/

without seeing or looking

From this reading “Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.”

forwarding noun US /ˈfɔːrwərdɪŋ/

the act of sending on to another destination

From this reading “Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.”

rated verb US /ˈreɪtɪd/

past form of “rate” — assign a rank or rating to

From this reading “Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.”

sage noun US /seɪdʒ/

a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading “This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.”

soundly adverb US /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

From this reading “Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.”

statesman noun US /ˈsteɪtsmən/

a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading “Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.”

symptoms noun US /ˈsɪmptəmz/

plural of “symptom” — (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

From this reading “The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

advicenounUS /ædˈvaɪs/

a proposal for an appropriate course of action

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

advisedadjectiveUS /ædˈvaɪzd/

having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

atoned

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

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

availedverbUS /əˈveɪld/

past form of “avail” — use to one's advantage

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

benefitnounUS /ˈbenəfɪt/

financial assistance in time of need

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/

without seeing or looking

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

counselnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a lawyer who pleads cases in court

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/

perceived or discerned

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

forwardingnounUS /ˈfɔːrwərdɪŋ/

the act of sending on to another destination

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

guessedverbUS /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading To return, however.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

moonlightnounUS /ˈmuːnlaɪt/

the light of the Moon

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

nurseverbUS /nɜːrs/

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

Padmavati

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

pradhan's

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

PrincessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

ratedverbUS /ˈreɪtɪd/

past form of “rate” — assign a rank or rating to

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

rejectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdʒektɪd/

rebuffed (by a lover) without warning

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading To return, however.

rulenounUS /ruːl/

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

sagenounUS /seɪdʒ/

a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

sensibleadjectiveUS /ˈsensəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

soundlyadverbUS /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

statesmannounUS /ˈsteɪtsmən/

a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

strong-mindedness

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

symptomsnounUS /ˈsɪmptəmz/

plural of “symptom” — (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To return, however.

touchingadjectiveUS /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

ungraciouslyadverb

without grace; rigidly

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

viewsnounUS /vjuːz/

plural of “view” — a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

whilstconjunctionUS /waɪlst/

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading This sage counsel was, as might be guessed, most ungraciously rejected by him for whose benefit it was intended.

wisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading The pradhan’s son, who detected certain symptoms of strong-mindedness in the Princess Padmavati, advised his lord to be wise whilst wisdom availed him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading After the ten nights of moonlight had passed, the old nurse was again sent to the palace with the usual message.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Then the sensible young statesman rated himself soundly for having broken his father’s rule touching advice, and atoned for it by blindly forwarding the views of his master.

Chapter 6 of Vikram and the Vampire by Richard Francis, Sir Burton holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 6 of Vikram and the Vampire contain?

Chapter 6 holds 142 sentences of Vikram and the Vampire, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Vikram and the Vampire by Richard Francis, Sir Burton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 6 of Vikram and the Vampire?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Vikram and the Vampire

Common questions about reading Vikram and the Vampire by Richard Francis, Sir Burton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Vikram and the Vampire?

Yes. All 3226 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2400 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Vikram and the Vampire is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2400, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Vikram and the Vampire take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 646 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Vikram and the Vampire section by section

How to work through Vikram and the Vampire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Vikram and the Vampire 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 Vikram and the Vampire

Words and structures a reader meets early in Vikram and the Vampire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Classic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vikram and the Vampire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hindu
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vikram and the Vampire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vikram and the Vampire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vikram and the Vampire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.