Chapter 12 of A Jolly Fellowship is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of A Jolly Fellowship is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
RECTUS LOSES RANK. After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown. He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen. The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it. When we saw this, we hesitated.
Chapter 12 of A Jolly Fellowship is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading “After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.”
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading “He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.”
the head of a state government
From this reading “After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “When we saw this, we hesitated.”
having inhabitants; lived in
From this reading “He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.”
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “RECTUS LOSES RANK.”
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading “The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.”
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading “He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
later than; following
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
having an easygoing and cheerful disposition
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
the head of a state government
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading When we saw this, we hesitated.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
having inhabitants; lived in
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading RECTUS LOSES RANK.
most important element
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading RECTUS LOSES RANK.
any of various straight muscles
From this reading RECTUS LOSES RANK.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
cut with a saw
From this reading When we saw this, we hesitated.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When we saw this, we hesitated.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading When we saw this, we hesitated.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading After supper, Rectus and I went to see the African governor, Goliah Brown.
at the time that
From this reading When we saw this, we hesitated.
which person or people
From this reading He was a good-natured old colored man, who lived in a house a trifle better than most of those inhabited by his fellow-countrymen.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The main room was of a fair size, and there was a centre-table, with some books on it.
Chapter 12 of A Jolly Fellowship by Frank R. Stockton holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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.
Chapter 12 holds 145 sentences of A Jolly Fellowship, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of A Jolly Fellowship by Frank R. Stockton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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.
Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.
Common questions about reading A Jolly Fellowship by Frank R. Stockton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4570 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20651 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20651, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 914 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Jolly Fellowship section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of A Jolly Fellowship to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Jolly Fellowship, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
