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Back to the Woods
Back to the Woods

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Back to the Woods is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Back to the Woods
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.
When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.
She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.
Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.
About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Back to the Woods

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Back to the Woods is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.
/dʒɑːn ˈhenriz ɡoʊst ˈstɔːri/
Line 2
When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.
Line 3
She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.
/ʃiː hæd bɪn ʌp ənd ˈduːɪŋ æn ˈaʊər bɪˈfɔːr ðæt klɑːk ɡruː ˈnɜːrvəs ɪˈnʌf tuː kroʊ/
Line 4
Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.
Line 5
About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

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.

booked adjective US /bʊkt/

reserved in advance

From this reading “Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.”

chatter verb US /ˈtʃætər/

click repeatedly or uncontrollably

From this reading “When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.”

crow verb US /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading “She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.”

deliver verb US /dɪˈlɪvər/

deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading “About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.”

goods noun US /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading “About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.”

henry's noun US /ˈhenriz/

possessive form of “henry” — a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading “JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.”

realization noun US /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/

coming to understand something clearly and distinctly

From this reading “About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.”

reluctantly adverb US /rɪˈlʌktəntli/

with reluctance

From this reading “About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

10

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

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

30

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

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

7

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

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

8

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

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

bookedadjectiveUS /bʊkt/

reserved in advance

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

Busy-Lizzie

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

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

chatterverbUS /ˈtʃætər/

click repeatedly or uncontrollably

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

Choo-Choonoun

a child's word for locomotive

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

Clara

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

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

crowverbUS /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

deliververbUS /dɪˈlɪvər/

deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

didn't

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

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

draggedverbUS /dræɡd/

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

dueadjectiveUS /duː/

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

enthusiasmnounUS /ɪnˈθuːziæzəm/

a feeling of excitement

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

GHOSTnounUS /ɡoʊst/

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.

goodsnounUS /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

HENRY'SnounUS /ˈhenriz/

possessive form of “henry” — a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

nervousadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

realizationnounUS /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/

coming to understand something clearly and distinctly

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

reluctantlyadverbUS /rɪˈlʌktəntli/

with reluctance

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading JOHN HENRY'S GHOST STORY.

teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading She had been up and doing an hour before that clock grew nervous enough to crow.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Her enthusiasm was so great that she was a Busy-Lizzie long before 7 o'clock and we were not booked to leave the Choo-Choo House till 10:30.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading About 8 o'clock she dragged me away from a dream and I reluctantly awoke to a realization of the fact that I was due to deliver some goods which I had never seen and didn't want to see.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading When the alarm clock went to work the next morning Clara J. turned around and gave it a look that made its teeth chatter.

Chapter 2 of Back to the Woods by George V. (George Vere) Hobart holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 2 of Back to the Woods contain?

Chapter 2 holds 119 sentences of Back to the Woods, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Back to the Woods by George V. (George Vere) Hobart exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 2 of Back to the Woods?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Back to the Woods

Common questions about reading Back to the Woods by George V. (George Vere) Hobart on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Back to the Woods?

Yes. All 893 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12609 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Back to the Woods is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12609, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Back to the Woods take to read?

About 74 minutes of reading across 179 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Back to the Woods section by section

How to work through Back to the Woods section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Back to the Woods 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 Back to the Woods

Words and structures a reader meets early in Back to the Woods, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Henry's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Back to the Woods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lucky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Back to the Woods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Back to the Woods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Eleven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Back to the Woods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.