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Bowser the Hound
Bowser the Hound

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Bowser the Hound is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Bowser the Hound
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.
_Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.
Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.
He did not even glance up at Blacky.
He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.
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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.

Bowser the Hound

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Bowser the Hound is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.
Line 2
_Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.
Line 3
Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.
Line 4
He did not even glance up at Blacky.
Line 5
He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

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.

Crow verb US /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading “Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.”

Fox noun US /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading “_Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.”

guessed verb US /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading “Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.”

hens noun US /henz/

plural of “hen” — adult female chicken

From this reading “REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.”

Hound noun US /haʊnd/

any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears

From this reading “_Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.”

straighten verb US /ˈstreɪtən/

straighten up or out; make straight

From this reading “REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.”

swamp verb US /swɑːmp/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading “_Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.”

watches noun US /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading “REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

Blacky

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

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

Bowser

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

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

crookedest

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

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

CrowverbUS /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading He did not even glance up at Blacky.

FATadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading He did not even glance up at Blacky.

guessedverbUS /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He did not even glance up at Blacky.

HENSnounUS /henz/

plural of “hen” — adult female chicken

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

HoundnounUS /haʊnd/

any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not even glance up at Blacky.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

REDDY

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

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

rooster's

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

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

SooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

straightenverbUS /ˈstreɪtən/

straighten up or out; make straight

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

swampverbUS /swɑːmp/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

thankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

trailnounUS /treɪl/

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading He did not even glance up at Blacky.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading _Bowser the Hound._ At the sound of that rooster's voice on the other side of the little swamp, Reddy became a changed Fox.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

WATCHESnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He did not even say thank you to Blacky for having shown him the way.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading REDDY WATCHES THE FAT HENS Sooner or later the crookedest trail will straighten.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Could you have been sitting where you could have seen him, as did Blacky the Crow, you never, never would have guessed that Reddy had run a very long distance and was tired.

Chapter 31 of Bowser the Hound by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 31 of Bowser the Hound contain?

Chapter 31 holds 31 sentences of Bowser the Hound, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of Bowser the Hound by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 31 of Bowser the Hound?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Bowser the Hound

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

Is this the complete text of Bowser the Hound?

Yes. All 1376 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15168 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bowser the Hound is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15168, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bowser the Hound take to read?

About 114 minutes of reading across 276 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bowser the Hound section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Bowser the Hound 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 Bowser the Hound

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

Though
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bowser the Hound; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bowser the Hound; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Small
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bowser the Hound; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Matter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bowser the Hound; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.