Chapter 12 of Bertie and the Gardeners is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Bertie and the Gardeners is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA. When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets. The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate. "Why, mamma, are you sick?" Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
Chapter 12 of Bertie and the Gardeners is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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 indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading “The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.”
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading “When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.”
past form of “crackle” — make a crackling sound
From this reading “The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.”
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading “The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.”
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading “When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.”
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading “The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.”
plural of “violet” — any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading “VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA.”
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 When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Why, mamma, are you sick?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
past form of “crackle” — make a crackling sound
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "Why, mamma, are you sick?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
with speed
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading "Why, mamma, are you sick?"
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
the season of growth
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Bertie asked, running quickly to the side of the bed.
plural of “violet” — any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VIOLETS AND VIOLETTA.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
at the time that
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, mamma, are you sick?"
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The curtains were dropped before the large bay window, and though it was not cold a pleasant fire crackled in the open grate.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When spring came, Bertie went one morning into his mamma's chamber with a bunch of the earliest violets.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why, mamma, are you sick?"
Chapter 12 of Bertie and the Gardeners by Madeline Leslie holds 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 12 holds 52 sentences of Bertie and the Gardeners, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Bertie and the Gardeners by Madeline Leslie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 12 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 Bertie and the Gardeners by Madeline Leslie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 672 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26497 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26497, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 56 minutes of reading across 135 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bertie and the Gardeners section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Bertie and the Gardeners 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 Bertie and the Gardeners, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
