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A Fool and His Money
A Fool and His Money

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of A Fool and His Money is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Barr McCutcheon • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Fool and His Money
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.
Would I be content to exercise it capably?
Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?
I doubt it.
Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.
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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.

A Fool and His Money

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of A Fool and His Money is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.
/aɪ æm ˌɪnˈvaɪtəd aʊt tuː ˈdɪnər aɪ səmˈtaɪmz ˈwʌndər wʌt wʊd ˈhæpən ɪf aɪ ˈrɪli hæd ə maɪnd ʌv maɪ oʊn/
Line 2
Would I be content to exercise it capably?
Line 3
Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?
/wʊd aɪ siːs tuː biː ˈpʌti ɪn ðə hændz ʌv ˈʌðər ˈpiːpəl/
Line 4
I doubt it.
/aɪ daʊt ɪt/
Line 5
Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.
/ˈiːvɪn ə strɔːŋ ˈɑːbdərət maɪnd ɪz ˈlaɪəbəl tuː kəˈnekt wɪð kənˈdɪʃənz ðæt ˈrendər ɪt wiːk ənd ˈplaɪəbəl fɔːr ðə ˈsɪmpəl ˈriːzən ðæt ɪt ɪz səmˈtaɪmz ˈiːziər tuː pʊt ʌp wɪð ə θɪŋ ðæn tuː traɪ tuː pʊt ɪt daʊn/

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.

cease verb US /siːs/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading “Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
connect verb US /kəˈnekt/

connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
easier adjective US /ˈiːziər/

comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
liable adjective US /ˈlaɪəbəl/

at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
obdurate adjective US /ˈɑːbdərət/

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pliable adjective US /ˈplaɪəbəl/

susceptible to being led or directed

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
putty noun US /ˈpʌti/

a dough-like mixture of whiting and boiled linseed oil; used especially to patch woodwork or secure panes of glass

From this reading “Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
render verb US /ˈrendər/

cause to become

From this reading “Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 55

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 I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AMauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Would I be content to exercise it capably?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
capablyadverb

with competence; in a competent capable manner

From this reading Would I be content to exercise it capably?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ceaseverbUS /siːs/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
connectverbUS /kəˈnekt/

connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading Would I be content to exercise it capably?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DINNERnounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading I doubt it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
easieradjectiveUS /ˈiːziər/

comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exercisenounUS /ˈeksərsaɪz/

the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit

From this reading Would I be content to exercise it capably?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
INVITEDverbUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪtəd/

past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Would I be content to exercise it capably?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
liableadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪəbəl/

at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora curated lexicon
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
obdurateadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbdərət/

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OUTadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pliableadjectiveUS /ˈplaɪəbəl/

susceptible to being led or directed

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
puttynounUS /ˈpʌti/

a dough-like mixture of whiting and boiled linseed oil; used especially to patch woodwork or secure panes of glass

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
renderverbUS /ˈrendər/

cause to become

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Would I cease to be putty in the hands of other people?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Even a strong, obdurate mind is liable to connect with conditions that render it weak and pliable for the simple reason that it is sometimes easier to put up with a thing than to try to put it down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading I AM INVITED OUT TO DINNER I sometimes wonder what would happen if I really had a mind of my own.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of A Fool and His Money by George Barr McCutcheon holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 of A Fool and His Money contain?

Chapter 9 holds 408 sentences of A Fool and His Money, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of A Fool and His Money by George Barr McCutcheon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 of A Fool and His Money?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Fool and His Money

Common questions about reading A Fool and His Money by George Barr McCutcheon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Fool and His Money?

Yes. All 7513 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #6325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1503 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Fool and His Money

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Fool and His Money, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Quite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Fool and His Money; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Fool and His Money; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rilas
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Fool and His Money; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Memory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Fool and His Money; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.