The Lion and the Crane

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By World Folklorists (Japanese, Indian & Celtic Traditions) • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Lion and the Crane

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

"You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

"These things are signs."

Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

In a moment they were there, and there too was the object of their search standing by one of the palace gates, and longing to see the prince quite as much as he was longing to see her.

Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

Narrator

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.

Chapter VIII Reading 1/80

The Lion and the Crane World Folklorists (Japanese, Indian & Celtic Traditions)

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

"You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince. "These things are signs." Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace. In a moment they were there, and there too was the object of their search standing by one of the palace gates, and longing to see the prince quite as much as he was longing to see her. Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

The Lion and the Crane

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

/juː wɪl suːn hæv jɔːr hɑːrts dɪˈzaɪər hiː ˈwɪspərd əˈsaɪd tuː ðə prɪns/

Line 2

"These things are signs."

/ðiːz θɪŋz ɑːr saɪnz/

Line 3

Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

Line 4

In a moment they were there, and there too was the object of their search standing by one of the palace gates, and longing to see the prince quite as much as he was longing to see her.

/ɪn ə ˈmoʊmənt ðeɪ wɜːr ðer ənd ðer tuː wɑːz ðə ˈɑːbdʒekt ʌv ðer sɜːrtʃ ˈstændɪŋ baɪ wʌn ʌv ðə ˈpæləs ɡeɪts ənd ˈlɔːŋɪŋ tuː siː ðə prɪns kwaɪt æz mʌtʃ æz hiː wɑːz ˈlɔːŋɪŋ tuː siː hɜːr/

Line 5

Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

/oʊ wʌt ə ˈhæpi ˈmiːtɪŋ ɪt wɑːz/

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.

elapsed adjective US /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading “Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.”

fortnight noun US /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/

a period of fourteen consecutive days

From this reading “Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.”

gates noun US /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading “In a moment they were there, and there too was the object of their search standing by one of the palace gates, and longing to see the prince quite as much as he was longing to see her.”

grounds noun US /ɡraʊndz/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading “Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.”

heart's noun US /hɑːrts/

possessive form of “heart” — the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading “"You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.”

longing noun US /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

signs noun US /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading “"These things are signs."”

swing verb US /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading “Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.”

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 In a moment they were there, and there too was the object of their search standing by one of the palace gates, and longing to see the prince quite as much as he was longing to see her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "These things are signs."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

asideadverbUS /əˈsaɪd/

on or to one side

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/

a period of fourteen consecutive days

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

gatesnounUS /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

groundsnounUS /ɡraʊndz/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

heart'snounUS /hɑːrts/

possessive form of “heart” — the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

longingnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

princenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading "These things are signs."

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

swingverbUS /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading "These things are signs."

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading "These things are signs."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

vizier's

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

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Oh, what a happy meeting it was!

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Two days of the dark fortnight had elapsed, when the prince and the vizier's son seated themselves in the swing, and wished themselves within the grounds of the palace.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You will soon have your heart's desire," he whispered aside to the prince.

Chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane by World Folklorists (Japanese, Indian & Celtic Traditions) holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 8 of The Lion and the Crane contain?

Chapter 8 holds 403 sentences of The Lion and the Crane, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane by World Folklorists (Japanese, Indian & Celtic Traditions) exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 8 of The Lion and the Crane?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 The Lion and the Crane

Common questions about reading The Lion and the Crane by World Folklorists (Japanese, Indian & Celtic Traditions) on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lion and the Crane?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lion and the Crane is used?

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

How long does The Lion and the Crane take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Lion and the Crane section by section

How to work through The Lion and the Crane section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Lion and the Crane to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Lion and the Crane

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lion and the Crane, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1: One of the 0 chapters of The Lion and the Crane, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2: One of the 0 chapters of The Lion and the Crane, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3: One of the 0 chapters of The Lion and the Crane, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

What does chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane contain?

How do I study chapter 8 of The Lion and the Crane?

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Lion and the Crane

How to read The Lion and the Crane section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Lion and the Crane