Chapter 9 of Battling the clouds is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Battling the clouds is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around. Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed. The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I guess the joke is on me," he said. It was Horace Jardin!
Chapter 9 of Battling the clouds is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading “Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.”
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
From this reading “It was Horace Jardin!”
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading “The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.”
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “"I guess the joke is on me," he said.”
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading “Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.”
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading “Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.”
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading “The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.”
past form of “shove” — come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading “Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.”
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 Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
without stop or interruption
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
From this reading It was Horace Jardin!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Horace Jardin!
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
set down according to a plan
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
the sound of laughing
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I guess the joke is on me," he said.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
past form of “shove” — come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Frank, laughing, too, carefully shoved back the bed.
up to a particular time
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The intruder sat up, rubbing his eyes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Horace Jardin!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Setting the flash so it would not go out, Bill laid it down on the floor, cried "Oh, you robber!" and beginning to laugh continued until he had to lie on the floor and roll around.
Chapter 9 of Battling the clouds by Frank Cobb holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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.
Chapter 9 holds 210 sentences of Battling the clouds, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Battling the clouds by Frank Cobb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 9 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 Battling the clouds by Frank Cobb on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2803 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28625 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28625, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 233 minutes of reading across 561 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Battling the clouds section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Battling the clouds 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 Battling the clouds, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
