Chapter 12 of William Tell Told Again is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of William Tell Told Again is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple. There was dead silence as he passed. Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another. "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher. "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
Chapter 12 of William Tell Told Again is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading “The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.”
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading “"Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.”
with excitement; in an excited manner
From this reading “Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.”
a narrow way or road
From this reading “The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.”
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading “"Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?”
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “"Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?”
inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading “"Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.”
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 The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
with excitement; in an excited manner
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
a narrow way or road
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
the act of departing
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
the act of using
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was dead silence as he passed.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.
Chapter 12 of William Tell Told Again by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 12 holds 65 sentences of William Tell Told Again, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of William Tell Told Again by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 12 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 William Tell Told Again by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1112 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7298 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7298, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 92 minutes of reading across 223 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through William Tell Told Again section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of William Tell Told Again 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 William Tell Told Again, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
