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A Struggle for a Fortune
A Struggle for a Fortune

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Struggle for a Fortune
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.
He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.
“Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.
“I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.
“What would you do if you had all this money?”
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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 Struggle for a Fortune

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.
Line 2
He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.
/hiː θɔːt ɪf hiː wɜːr wɜːrθ ðæt mʌtʃ ðæt hiː wʊd drɑːp ðə plaʊ ˈhændəlz ðen ənd ðer ənd teɪk tuː ðə wʊdz/
Line 3
“Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.
Line 4
“I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.
Line 5
“What would you do if you had all this money?”
/wʌt wʊd juː duː ɪf juː hæd ɔːl ðɪs ˈmʌni/

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.

cent noun US /sent/

a fractional monetary unit of several countries

From this reading ““I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.”

drop verb US /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading “He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.”

handles noun US /ˈhændəlz/

plural of “handle” — the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it

From this reading “He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.”

Mental adjective US /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

plow verb US /plaʊ/

to break and turn over earth especially with a plow

From this reading “He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.”

Reservation noun US /ˌrezərˈveɪʃən/

a district that is reserved for particular purpose

From this reading ““_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.”

woods noun US /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading “He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.”

worked verb US /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading ““I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.”

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.

Mental Reservation adjective + noun

an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly

In this reading ““_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.”

at length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

In this reading ““Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.”

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.

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 “What would you do if you had all this money?”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

centnounUS /sent/

a fractional monetary unit of several countries

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “What would you do if you had all this money?”

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

handlesnounUS /ˈhændəlz/

plural of “handle” — the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

Jonas

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

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

MentaladjectiveUS /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

Nat

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

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

Nickerson

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

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

plowverbUS /plaʊ/

to break and turn over earth especially with a plow

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

ReservationnounUS /ˌrezərˈveɪʃən/

a district that is reserved for particular purpose

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “_Mental Reservation._” Nat had never seen so much money before in his life.

stammered

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

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

that's

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

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “What would you do if you had all this money?”

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What would you do if you had all this money?”

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading “I worked for it, and that’s the way Jonas will have to get every cent he makes,” said Mr. Nickerson.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He thought if he were worth that much that he would drop the plow handles then and there and take to the woods.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Where did you get so much?” he stammered at length.

Chapter 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune by Harry Castlemon holds 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune contain?

Chapter 3 holds 158 sentences of A Struggle for a Fortune, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 3 of A Struggle for a Fortune?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Struggle for a Fortune

Common questions about reading A Struggle for a Fortune by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Struggle for a Fortune?

Yes. All 3046 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52287 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Struggle for a Fortune is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52287, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Struggle for a Fortune take to read?

About 253 minutes of reading across 610 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Struggle for a Fortune section by section

How to work through A Struggle for a Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of A Struggle for a 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 Struggle for a Fortune

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

Money
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for a Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for a Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cabin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for a Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Floor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for a Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.