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Blacky the Crow
Blacky the Crow

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Blacky the Crow is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Blacky the Crow
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.
People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.
They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.
If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.
If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.
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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.

Blacky the Crow

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Blacky the Crow is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.
Line 2
People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.
/ˈpiːpəl huː səkˈsiːd ɑːr ðoʊz huː duː nɑːt ɡɪv ʌp bɪˈkɔːz ðeɪ feɪl ðə fɜːrst taɪm ðeɪ traɪ/
Line 3
They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.
/ðeɪ ɑːr ðə wʌnz huː æz suːn æz wʌn plæn feɪlz ɡet ˈbɪzi raɪt əˈweɪ ənd θɪŋk ʌv əˈnʌðər plæn ənd traɪ ðæt/
Line 4
If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.
/ɪf ðə θɪŋ ðeɪ ɑːr ˈtraɪɪŋ tuː duː ɪz ə ɡʊd θɪŋ ˈsuːnər ɔːr ˈleɪtər ðeɪ səkˈsiːd/
Line 5
If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.
/ɪf ðeɪ ɑːr ˈtraɪɪŋ tuː duː ə rɔːŋ θɪŋ ˈveri ˈlaɪkli ɔːl ðer plænz feɪl æz ðeɪ ʃʊd/

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.

busy adjective US /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading “They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.”

Declare verb US /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading “When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.”

fail verb US /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading “People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.”

fails verb US /feɪlz/

third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading “When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.”

plans noun US /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading “If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.”

sooner adverb US /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading “If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.”

succeed verb US /səkˈsiːd/

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading “People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.”

win verb US /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading “When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

DeclareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

failverbUS /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

failsverbUS /feɪlz/

third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

plansnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

sooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

succeedverbUS /səkˈsiːd/

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading If the thing they are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail the first time they try.

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading If they are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should.

you'll

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

From this reading When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other.

Chapter 7 of Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 7 of Blacky the Crow contain?

Chapter 7 holds 44 sentences of Blacky the Crow, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 7 of Blacky the Crow?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Blacky the Crow

Common questions about reading Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Blacky the Crow?

Yes. All 1472 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4979 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Blacky the Crow is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4979, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Blacky the Crow take to read?

About 122 minutes of reading across 295 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Blacky the Crow section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Blacky the Crow 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 Blacky the Crow

Words and structures a reader meets early in Blacky the Crow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Blacky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blacky the Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Always
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blacky the Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Watching
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blacky the Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Blacky the Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.