Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But the boys also say: "Just wait."
And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.
FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.
No, they will never start.
In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.
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 Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But the boys also say: "Just wait."
/bʌt ðə bɔɪz ˈɔːlsoʊ seɪ dʒʌst weɪt/
Line 2
And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.
Line 3
FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.
Line 4
No, they will never start.
/noʊ ðeɪ wɪl ˈnevər stɑːrt/
Line 5
In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

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.

fantastic adjective US /fænˈtæstɪk/

ludicrously odd

From this reading “FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.”

hammer noun US /ˈhæmər/

the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

howling noun US /ˈhaʊlɪŋ/

a long loud emotional utterance

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

Norway noun US /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

plowing noun US /ˈplaʊɪŋ/

tilling the land with a plow

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

sill noun US /sɪl/

structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

Thor noun US /θɔːr/

(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

wink verb US /wɪŋk/

signal by winking

From this reading “And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

all-powerfuladjective

having unlimited power

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

blowverbUS /bloʊ/

exhale hard

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

devilnounUS /ˈdevəl/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

fa'n

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

FANTASTICadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/

ludicrously odd

From this reading FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

hammernounUS /ˈhæmər/

the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

howlingnounUS /ˈhaʊlɪŋ/

a long loud emotional utterance

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

leapedverbUS /lept/

past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

LOLLYPOPS

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

From this reading FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

mig

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No, they will never start.

NorwaynounUS /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

plowingnounUS /ˈplaʊɪŋ/

tilling the land with a plow

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

Prokofieff

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

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

sillnounUS /sɪl/

structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading FANTASTIC LOLLYPOPS They will never start.

Stavangernoun

a port city in southwestern Norway; center for shipbuilding industry

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

tanounUS /tɑː/

a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

ThornounUS /θɔːr/

(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

Tobias

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

tossedverbUS /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading But the boys also say: "Just wait."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

winkverbUS /wɪŋk/

signal by winking

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And they wink, meaning that another storm will blow up out of Stavanger in Norway and old Tobias will come plowing down the street again howling that fa'n ta mig the devil has him and that old Thor leaped on his window sill and tossed the all-powerful sun out of the sky with his hammer.

Chapter 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago by Ben Hecht holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago contain?

Chapter 6 holds 418 sentences of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago by Ben Hecht exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 6 of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago

Common questions about reading A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago by Ben Hecht on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago?

Yes. All 7032 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7988 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7988, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago take to read?

About 586 minutes of reading across 1407 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago section by section

How to work through A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago 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 Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Spring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dismal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shadows
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Really
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.