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A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life
A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. Molesworth • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE STORY OF SUNNY.
"Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."
But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.
After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.
She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE STORY OF SUNNY.
/ðə ˈstɔːri ʌv ˈsʌni/
Line 2
"Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."
/ʌv kɔːrs hiː wɑːz ðə ˈdʒaɪənt wɪð bɪrd æz waɪt æz snoʊ/
Line 3
But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.
/bʌt weˈnevər ˈmɪstər brænd puːr mæn keɪm tuː kɔːl ted wɑːz ʃʊr ɪn sʌm mɪˈstɪriəs weɪ tuː ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/
Line 4
After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.
/ˈæftər ə waɪl hɪz ˈmʌðər bɪˈɡæn tuː ˈnoʊtəs ɪt ðoʊ æz ˈmɪstər brænd dɪd nɑːt kʌm ˈveri ˈɔːfən ʃiː dɪd nɑːt duː soʊ ɔːl æt wʌns/
Line 5
She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.
/ʃiː ˈnoʊtəst ˌhaʊˈevər əˈnʌðər θɪŋ wɪtʃ ʃiː wɑːz ˈsɑːri fɔːr/

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.

beard noun US /bɪrd/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading “"Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Brand noun US /brænd/

a name given to a product or service

From this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disappear verb US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giant noun US /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading “"Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mysterious adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunny adjective US /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading “THE STORY OF SUNNY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ted noun US /ted/

a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes

From this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenever conjunction US /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

From this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.”

257,448 times in 225,867 chapters
Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “"Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."”

307,822 times in 225,867 chapters
mysterious way adjective + noun

In this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

1,011 times in 225,867 chapters
poor man adjective + noun

In this reading “But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.”

13,909 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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 After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beardnounUS /bɪrd/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BrandnounUS /brænd/

a name given to a product or service

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
noticedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəst/

being perceived or observed

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE STORY OF SUNNY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading THE STORY OF SUNNY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SUNNYadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading THE STORY OF SUNNY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TednounUS /ted/

a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE STORY OF SUNNY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wheneverconjunctionUS /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

From this reading But whenever Mr. Brand, poor man, came to call, Ted was sure in some mysterious way to disappear.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She noticed, however, another thing which she was sorry for.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading After a while his mother began to notice it, though, as Mr. Brand did not come very often, she did not do so all at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Of course he was the giant, With beard as white as snow."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life by Mrs. Molesworth holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life contain?

Chapter 4 holds 185 sentences of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 4 of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life

Common questions about reading A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life?

Yes. All 2355 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34045 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34045, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life take to read?

About 196 minutes of reading across 471 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carrots
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cuckoo
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clock
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.