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Droll Stories — Complete
Droll Stories — Complete

Chapter V

Cover illustration for Droll Stories — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”
“You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”
“Yes,” said the old woman.
“Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”
“By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Droll Stories — Complete

Chapter V

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

Line 1
“Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”
Line 2
“You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”
Line 3
“Yes,” said the old woman.
Line 4
“Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”
Line 5
“By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Cried noun US /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?””

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.””

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading ““Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.””

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?””

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.””

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?””

Replied noun US /replied/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.””

Rest noun US /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.””

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.””

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading ““Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.””

Yourself pronoun US /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading ““Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.””

All words in this reading · 60

Every word is available to listen to. 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 “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

boar

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

criednounUS /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

days

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

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

distaff

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

faith

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

fall

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

home

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

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

house

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

huntsmen

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

La

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

letting

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

lived

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

lord

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

mean

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

mother

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

old

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

From this reading “Yes,” said the old woman.

Pillegrain

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

rain

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

repliednounUS /replied/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

restnounUS /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

ripped

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

said

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

From this reading “Yes,” said the old woman.

say

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

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

see

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

spoil

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

there

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

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

Tourbelliere

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

up

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

Well

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

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “By my faith;” cried the mother, letting fall her distaff, “do you mean what you say?”

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

widow

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

woman

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

From this reading “Yes,” said the old woman.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

Yes

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

From this reading “Yes,” replied the good widow, “but the rain would spoil them, I have no house.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You can see from here,” replied the lord, “the house of La Tourbelliere, where lived my poor huntsmen Pillegrain, who was ripped up by a boar?”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading “Well, you can make yourself at home there for the rest of your days.”