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Amusing Prose Chap-Books
Amusing Prose Chap-Books

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books is here in full — 32 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Amusing Prose Chap-Books
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.
Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."
"What's the matter, Jockey, what's the matter?"
"A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"
"I'se don't, I'se come to you belyve."
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.

Amusing Prose Chap-Books

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books is here in full — 32 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.
Line 2
Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."
Line 3
"What's the matter, Jockey, what's the matter?"
Line 4
"A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"
Line 5
"I'se don't, I'se come to you belyve."

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.

hoppers noun US /ˈhɑːpərz/

plural of “hopper” — funnel-shaped receptacle; contents pass by gravity into a receptacle below

From this reading “"A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"”

Jockey verb US /ˈdʒɑːki/

defeat someone through trickery or deceit

From this reading “Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."”

kirk noun US /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading “Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."”

morn noun US /mɔːrn/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading “Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."”

rocket noun US /ˈrɑːkət/

any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine

From this reading “Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."”

Scotch noun US /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading “_A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.”

skippers noun US /ˈskɪpərz/

plural of “skipper” — a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading “"A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"”

wad verb US /wɑːd/

compress into a wad

From this reading “_A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.”

All words in this reading · 40

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 _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

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 "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

belyve

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

From this reading "I'se don't, I'se come to you belyve."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "I'se don't, I'se come to you belyve."

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

don't

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

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

Donkyn

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

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

gangnounUS /ɡæŋ/

an association of criminals

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

hoppersnounUS /ˈhɑːpərz/

plural of “hopper” — funnel-shaped receptacle; contents pass by gravity into a receptacle below

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

I'se

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

From this reading "I'se don't, I'se come to you belyve."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

JockeyverbUS /ˈdʒɑːki/

defeat someone through trickery or deceit

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

kirknounUS /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

ladsnounUS /lædz/

plural of “lad” — a boy or man

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

MarriagenounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "What's the matter, Jockey, what's the matter?"

mornnounUS /mɔːrn/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

rocketnounUS /ˈrɑːkət/

any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

ScotchnounUS /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

ScotlandnounUS /ˈskɑːtlənd/

one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

skippersnounUS /ˈskɪpərz/

plural of “skipper” — a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

takesnounUS /teɪks/

plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Jockey comes to the kirk and takes Sir Donkyn by the rocket, and says, "Good morn, Sir Donkyn."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

wadverbUS /wɑːd/

compress into a wad

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

waddingnoun

any material used especially to protect something

From this reading "A wadding, a wadding," says he, "don't you see the hoppers and the skippers, and all the lads of the gang?"

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

What's

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

From this reading "What's the matter, Jockey, what's the matter?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _A Scotch Marriage._ We don't use to wad in Scotland as you wad in England.

Chapter 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books by Robert Hays [Editor] Cunningham holds 32 sentences, grouped into 7 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 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books contain?

Chapter 40 holds 32 sentences of Amusing Prose Chap-Books, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books by Robert Hays [Editor] Cunningham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 32 sentences, grouped into 7 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 40 of Amusing Prose Chap-Books?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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 Amusing Prose Chap-Books

Common questions about reading Amusing Prose Chap-Books by Robert Hays [Editor] Cunningham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Amusing Prose Chap-Books?

Yes. All 3829 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Amusing Prose Chap-Books is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Amusing Prose Chap-Books take to read?

About 319 minutes of reading across 766 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Amusing Prose Chap-Books section by section

How to work through Amusing Prose Chap-Books section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Amusing Prose Chap-Books 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 Amusing Prose Chap-Books

Words and structures a reader meets early in Amusing Prose Chap-Books, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Editorial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Amusing Prose Chap-Books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Amusing Prose Chap-Books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Largely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Amusing Prose Chap-Books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Increasing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Amusing Prose Chap-Books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.