Chapter 4 of Back to Billabong is here in full — 316 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Back to Billabong is here in full — 316 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?” The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer. “Yes; but he's very busy. Have you an appointment?” “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
Chapter 4 of Back to Billabong is here in full — 316 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/63 · 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.
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
From this reading “Have you an appointment?””
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading “The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.”
possessive form of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading “THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?””
a cage (usually made of wood and wire mesh) for small animals
From this reading “The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.”
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading “The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.”
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading “The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.”
in a way that was not expected
From this reading ““No--I got leave unexpectedly.”
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading “THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?””
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Have you an appointment?”
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
From this reading Have you an appointment?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “Yes; but he's very busy.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Yes; but he's very busy.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
moving swiftly
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
possessive form of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Have you an appointment?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes; but he's very busy.
a cage (usually made of wood and wire mesh) for small animals
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
go away from a place
From this reading “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
not any; not one
From this reading “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
in a way that was not expected
From this reading “No--I got leave unexpectedly.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Yes; but he's very busy.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading THE TURN OF FORTUNE'S WHEEL “Is Mr. M'Clinton in?”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes; but he's very busy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Have you an appointment?”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The clerk, in a species of rabbit hutch, glanced out curiously at the young flying officer.
Chapter 4 of Back to Billabong by Mary Grant Bruce holds 316 sentences, grouped into 64 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 4 holds 316 sentences of Back to Billabong, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Back to Billabong by Mary Grant Bruce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 316 sentences, grouped into 64 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 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 64 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 4 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 Back to Billabong by Mary Grant Bruce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4522 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7047 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7047, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 376 minutes of reading across 905 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Back to Billabong section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Back to Billabong 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 Back to Billabong, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
