Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A Mad Tea-Party CHAPTER VIII. The Queen’s Croquet-Ground CHAPTER IX. The Mock Turtle’s Story CHAPTER X. The Lobster Quadrille CHAPTER XI. Who Stole the Tarts? CHAPTER XII. Alice’s Evidence

Cover illustration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.
Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, Look out now, Five!
Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”
I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; Seven jogged my elbow.”
On which Seven looked up and said, That’s right, Five!
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.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.
Line 2
Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!
Line 3
Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”
Line 4
I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”
Line 5
On which Seven looked up and said, “That’s right, Five!

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.

busily adverb US /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading “The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.”

elbow noun US /ˈelboʊ/

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading ““I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.””

gardeners noun US /ˈɡɑːrdənərz/

plural of “gardener” — someone who takes care of a garden

From this reading “The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.”

jogged verb US /dʒɑːɡd/

inflected form of “jog” — continue talking or writing in a desultory manner

From this reading ““I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.””

paint verb US /peɪnt/

make a painting

From this reading “Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!””

painting noun US /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/

graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface

From this reading “The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.”

Queen's noun US /kwiːnz/

possessive form of “queen” — the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

splashing noun US /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/

the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface

From this reading “Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!””

All words in this reading · 72

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 The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

Alice

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

couldn't

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

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

Croquet-Ground

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

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

Don't

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

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

FivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

gardenersnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənərz/

plural of “gardener” — someone who takes care of a garden

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

joggedverbUS /dʒɑːɡd/

inflected form of “jog” — continue talking or writing in a desultory manner

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading On which Seven looked up and said, “That’s right, Five!

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

paintverbUS /peɪnt/

make a painting

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

paintingnounUS /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/

graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

Queen'snounUS /kwiːnz/

possessive form of “queen” — the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading On which Seven looked up and said, “That’s right, Five!

rose-tree

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

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

rosesnounUS /ˈroʊzɪz/

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

SevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

splashingnounUS /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/

the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

sulkyadjective

sullen or moody

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Don’t go splashing paint over me like that!”

That's

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

From this reading On which Seven looked up and said, “That’s right, Five!

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading “I couldn’t help it,” said Five, in a sulky tone; “Seven jogged my elbow.”

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, “Look out now, Five!

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading On which Seven looked up and said, “That’s right, Five!

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading The Queen’s Croquet-Ground A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

Chapter Quiz

Use these questions to verify literal comprehension before continuing to the next chapter.

What is the central narrative or theme conveyed in this section of Chapter 07: A Mad Tea-Party?

Which core linguistic virtue or character attribute is emphasized in this passage?

According to the text: "A Mad Tea-Party...", what tone does the author establish?

Shadowing Practice

Repeat the selected source lines aloud to practice rhythm, stress, and clear US English pronunciation.

Narrator: A Mad Tea-Party
Narrator: _some_ change in my size; and as it can’t possibly make me larger, it

Chapter 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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.

What does chapter 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland contain?

Chapter 8 holds 109 sentences of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 8 of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Common questions about reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?

Yes. All 1310 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Alice's Adventures in Wonderland take to read?

About 109 minutes of reading across 262 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland section by section

How to work through Alice's Adventures in Wonderland section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 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 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Words and structures a reader meets early in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rabbit-hole
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beginning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tired
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.