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Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures
Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Barnum • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.
But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.
If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.
They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.
Yes, I shall stay here.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.
Line 2
But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.
Line 3
If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.
Line 4
They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.
Line 5
Yes, I shall stay here.
/jes aɪ ʃæl steɪ hiːr/

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.

Arthur noun US /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading “If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dusty adjective US /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading “BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forgotten adjective US /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading “They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.”

Velmora curated lexicon
moved adjective US /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading “But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
porch noun US /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading “BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
simply adverb US /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading “But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stay verb US /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading “If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walking adjective US /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading “BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

stay here verb + particle

In this reading “Yes, I shall stay here.”

21,177 times in 426,212 chapters
come back verb + particle

be restored

In this reading “If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.”

121,424 times in 426,212 chapters
go away verb + particle

move away from a place into another direction

In this reading “But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.”

58,692 times in 426,212 chapters
around here preposition + adverb

In this reading “If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.”

5,437 times in 426,212 chapters
new home adjective + noun

In this reading “They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.”

3,973 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 60

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BLACKIE

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Pending verification
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
can't

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Pending verification
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora curated lexicon
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HAPPYadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Mabel

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

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

Pending verification
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Yes, I shall stay here.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading But I simply can’t go away from it again, even if the family has moved away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
that's

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Pending verification
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
they'll

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

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Pending verification
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading BLACKIE IS HAPPY “Well,” said Blackie to herself, after walking up and down the dusty porch, “I can’t get in the house, that’s sure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If I stay around here perhaps Arthur or Mabel will come back.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They may have forgotten something, and if they do come back, and see me, they’ll take me to the new home with them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Yes, I shall stay here.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures by Richard Barnum holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures contain?

Chapter 12 holds 139 sentences of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures by Richard Barnum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 12 of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 12 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures

Common questions about reading Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures by Richard Barnum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures?

Yes. All 1843 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61654 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61654, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures take to read?

About 153 minutes of reading across 369 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures section by section

How to work through Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures

Words and structures a reader meets early in Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Squinty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comical
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jolly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blackie, a Lost Cat: Her Many Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.