Chapter 18 of Blacky the Crow is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Blacky the Crow is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Of things you do not understand, Beware! They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware! You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware! --Blacky the Crow. That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
Chapter 18 of Blacky the Crow is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to
From this reading “Of things you do not understand, Beware!”
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading “--Blacky the Crow.”
your parents
From this reading “You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!”
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading “They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!”
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading “You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!”
plural of “saying” — a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.”
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence
From this reading “You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!”
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading “They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!”
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 You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --Blacky the Crow.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading --Blacky the Crow.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
your parents
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
and nothing more
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
plural of “saying” — a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware!
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Of things you do not understand, Beware!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware!
Chapter 18 of Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 18 holds 40 sentences of Blacky the Crow, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 8 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 18 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 Blacky the Crow by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1472 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4979 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4979, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 122 minutes of reading across 295 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Blacky the Crow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Blacky the Crow 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 Blacky the Crow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
