Chapter 5 of A Waif of the Plains is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter V
Chapter 5 of A Waif of the Plains is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically. Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance. And sing. I kin dance High Jambooree.” “What's High Jambooree, dear?” asked Mrs. Peyton.
Chapter 5 of A Waif of the Plains is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
in a critical manner
From this reading ““You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.”
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
a person having kinship with another or others
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
with speed
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
deliver by singing
From this reading “And sing.”
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading “Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And sing.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What's High Jambooree, dear?” asked Mrs. Peyton.
without stop or interruption
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
in a critical manner
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
dearly loved
From this reading “What's High Jambooree, dear?” asked Mrs. Peyton.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading I kin dance High Jambooree.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I kin dance High Jambooree.”
a person having kinship with another or others
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What's High Jambooree, dear?” asked Mrs. Peyton.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
with speed
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
express in words
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
deliver by singing
From this reading And sing.
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading Then suddenly starting upright in Mrs. Peyton's lap, she continued rapidly, “I kin dance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What's High Jambooree, dear?” asked Mrs. Peyton.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You didn't say 'Stay, father, stay,' enough, Kla'uns,” said Susy critically.
Chapter 5 of A Waif of the Plains by Bret Harte holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 holds 189 sentences of A Waif of the Plains, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of A Waif of the Plains by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 5 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 Waif of the Plains by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1844 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2279 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2279, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 153 minutes of reading across 369 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Waif of the Plains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of A Waif of the Plains 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 Waif of the Plains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
