Orpheus and Eurydice: read-along
Orpheus and Eurydice as a read-along for the projector: 12 pages, 2013 words, level 18, beyond grade 8.
Page 1 of 12
In the mountain country of Thrace, where the rivers ran cold and the oak forests were considerably older than any recorded village, there lived a young man named Orpheus, whose mother was a Muse and whose inheritance was music. He carried a lyre strung with sinew, and whenever he touched it, the entire landscape seemed to incline itself in his direction, as though attention were a kind of gravity. Rivers slackened their currents so that they might hear the melody more completely, and wolves descended from the ridges to lie among the sheep without the slightest appetite. Shepherds insisted that the very oaks had uprooted themselves to follow him, settling wherever he paused. Yet Orpheus was a reserved and unassuming person, who regarded his extraordinary and mysterious talent less as a possession than as a species of weather, something that arrived without invitation, accomplished its mysterious work, and departed without explanation.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 18, beyond grade 8
- 12 pages, 2013 words, about 15 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus, whose music can move rivers and wolves, walks into the underworld to win back his lost Eurydice, past a three-headed dog and a ferryman who forgets how to count. But the road up is long and dark, and the voices in the walls would very much like him to turn around.
Words to preview
- lyre
- small harp
- garlands (GAR-landz)
- flower wreaths
- omens (OH-menz)
- warning signs
- shades (SHAYDZ)
- ghosts
- reproach (rih-PROHCH)
- blame
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does Orpheus and Eurydice take to read aloud?
It has 12 pages and 2013 words, so about 15 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is Orpheus and Eurydice?
Level 18, beyond grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; levels above 13 are beyond grade 8 and have no grade. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.