Chapter 5 of Whilomville Stories is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Whilomville Stories is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Me?" cried Alek. "Me?" "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity. "Yes--you!" He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
Chapter 5 of Whilomville Stories is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 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.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
the property of being wild or turbulent
From this reading “"Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading “"Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
compacted by ironing
From this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal 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.
In this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
a man who is very old
In this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
In this reading “He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Me?" cried Alek.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Me?" cried Alek.
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
the property of being wild or turbulent
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Me?" cried Alek.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
compacted by ironing
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had become convinced that Alek was not in any way guilty, but he was certain that the old man knew the owner of the knife, and so he pressed him at first on criminal lines.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Yes--you!" said Si, with icy ferocity.
Chapter 5 of Whilomville Stories by Stephen Crane holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 holds 415 sentences of Whilomville Stories, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Whilomville Stories by Stephen Crane exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 5 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 Whilomville Stories by Stephen Crane on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2964 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39644 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39644, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 247 minutes of reading across 593 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Whilomville Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Whilomville Stories 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 Whilomville Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
