Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Boy's Fortune
A Boy's Fortune

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Boy's Fortune
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.
Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.
The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!
This is no place to sleep."
The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

A Boy's Fortune

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.
Line 2
Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.
Line 3
The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!
Line 4
This is no place to sleep."
/ðɪs ɪz noʊ pleɪs tuː sliːp/
Line 5
The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.
/ðə ˈspiːkər wɑːz ə pəˈliːsmən ðə siːn wɑːz ˈsɪti hɔːl pɑːrk ənd ðə ˈpɜːrsən əˈdrest wɑːz ə bɔɪ ʌv pərˈhæps sɪkˈstiːn huː wɑːz rɪˈklaɪnɪŋ ɑːn wʌn ʌv ðə pɑːrk ˈbentʃɪz wɪð ə ˈbʌndəl æt hɪz saɪd/

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.

Adrift adjective US /əˈdrɪft/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading “Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.”

alger noun US /ˈældʒər/

United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)

From this reading “See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.”

benches noun US /ˈbentʃɪz/

plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person

From this reading “The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.”

Grit noun US /ɡrɪt/

a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone

From this reading “Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.”

Palmer noun US /ˈpɑːmər/

United States golfer (born in 1929)

From this reading “Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.”

Plucky adjective US /ˈplʌki/

marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited

From this reading “Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.”

reclining noun US /rɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/

the act of assuming or maintaining a reclining position

From this reading “The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.”

Toronto noun US /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading “The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

Wake up verb + adjective

cause to become awake or conscious

In this reading “The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!”

in the City preposition + article + noun counted as “in … city”

In this reading “Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.”

Adventures of verb + particle counted as “adventure of”

In this reading “See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

AdriftadjectiveUS /əˈdrɪft/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

AdventuresnounUS /ædˈventʃərz/

plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

ALGERnounUS /ˈældʒər/

United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

BakernounUS /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

BennounUS /ben/

a mountain or tall hill

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

benchesnounUS /ˈbentʃɪz/

plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

Dan

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

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

DetectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

etc

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

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

FearlessadjectiveUS /ˈfɪrləs/

oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

GritnounUS /ɡrɪt/

a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

HORATIO

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

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

https

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

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

JRnounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/

a son who has the same first name as his father

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

PalmernounUS /ˈpɑːmər/

United States golfer (born in 1929)

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

PaulnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

PhiladelphianounUS /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

PluckyadjectiveUS /ˈplʌki/

marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited

From this reading Author of "Adrift in the City," "Grit," "Frank and Fearless," "Dan, the Detective," "Plucky Paul Palmer," etc.

policemannounUS /pəˈliːsmən/

a member of a police force

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

recliningnounUS /rɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/

the act of assuming or maintaining a reclining position

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

speakernounUS /ˈspiːkər/

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

StrangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading See https:// The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker HORATIO ALGER, JR.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This is no place to sleep."

TorontonounUS /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

WakeverbUS /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

Winston

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

From this reading The John C. Winston Co. Philadelphia Chicago Toronto "Wake up there!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The speaker was a policeman, the scene was City Hall Park, and the person addressed was a boy of perhaps sixteen, who was reclining on one of the park benches, with a bundle at his side.

Chapter 1 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 1 of A Boy's Fortune contain?

Chapter 1 holds 119 sentences of A Boy's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 1 of A Boy's Fortune?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 A Boy's Fortune

Common questions about reading A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Boy's Fortune?

Yes. All 4381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52017 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Boy's Fortune is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52017, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Boy's Fortune take to read?

About 365 minutes of reading across 877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Boy's Fortune section by section

How to work through A Boy's Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Boy's Fortune to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in A Boy's Fortune

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Boy's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Baker
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.