There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son. Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you. I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.” So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him. At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
to provide what someone needs in order to live
From this reading “There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.”
Every word is available to listen to. 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 There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
not any; not one
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
to provide what someone needs in order to live
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
which person or people
From this reading There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then said the son, “Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this time the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out to fight.
