Chapter 4 of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?" "I think it would be great sport. I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk. Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground. Somehow, it seems like a person.
Chapter 4 of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading “I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.”
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading “Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.”
form a curve
From this reading “Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.”
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading “Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.”
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading “THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"”
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading “"I think it would be great sport.”
make a dull sound
From this reading “I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.”
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading “I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.”
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 COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
form a curve
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "I think it would be great sport.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think it would be great sport.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I think it would be great sport.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
a human being
From this reading Somehow, it seems like a person.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Somehow, it seems like a person.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Somehow, it seems like a person.
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading "I think it would be great sport.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think it would be great sport.
make a dull sound
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Then it is always an exciting time as the tree begins to bend and fall to the ground.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading I like to hear the thud of the axe as it comes down on the trunk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THE COFFEE-PARTY "How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
Chapter 4 of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 4 holds 91 sentences of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 19 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 Bertha, Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bertha, Our Little German Cousin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Bertha, Our Little German Cousin 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 Bertha, Our Little German Cousin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
