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Boyhood in Norway
Boyhood in Norway

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Boyhood in Norway is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Boyhood in Norway
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.
For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.
It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.
It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.
But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Boyhood in Norway

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Boyhood in Norway is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.
Line 2
For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.
Line 3
It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.
Line 4
It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.
Line 5
But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

All words in this reading · 90

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.

a

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

afford

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

all

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

and

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

as

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

at

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

be

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

bed

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

birch-bark

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

black

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

boy

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

But

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

charcoal-burner

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

chimney-sweep

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

clothes

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

could

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

covet

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

credit

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

earned

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

easy

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

enough

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

envious

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

even

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

family

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

father

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

flour

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

food

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

For

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

gone

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

good

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

ground

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

had

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

having

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

he

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

him

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

his

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

if

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

impossible

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

in

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

it

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

known

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

last

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

life

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

little

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

longer

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

make

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

man's

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

mix

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

money

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

needed

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

never

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

next

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

nice

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

Nils

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

Nils's

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

not

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

obliged

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

on

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

once

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

order

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

pleasant

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

poor

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

porridge

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

present

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

rich

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

seemed

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

small

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

so

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

son

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

such

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

the

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

their

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

them

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

there

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

they

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

things

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

thought

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

From this reading It was easy enough for a rich man’s son to be good, Nils thought.

times

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

to

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

until

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

want

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

From this reading It was small credit to him if he was not envious, having never known want and never gone to bed on birch-bark porridge.

was

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

were

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

what

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

when

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

which

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

who

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

with

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

From this reading For what little money he earned was needed at once for food and clothes for the family; and there were times when they were obliged to mix ground birch-bark with their flour in order to make it last longer.

worked

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

From this reading Nils’s father, who was a poor charcoal-burner, could never afford to make his son such a present, even if he worked until he was as black as a chimney-sweep.

would

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

From this reading But for a poor boy not to covet all the nice things which would make life so pleasant, if he had them, seemed next to impossible.

Chapter 5 of Boyhood in Norway by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 of Boyhood in Norway contain?

Chapter 5 holds 168 sentences of Boyhood in Norway, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Boyhood in Norway by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 5 of Boyhood in Norway?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Boyhood in Norway

Common questions about reading Boyhood in Norway by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Boyhood in Norway?

Yes. All 2545 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #784 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Boyhood in Norway is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #784, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Boyhood in Norway take to read?

About 212 minutes of reading across 509 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Boyhood in Norway section by section

How to work through Boyhood in Norway section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Boyhood in Norway 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 Boyhood in Norway

Words and structures a reader meets early in Boyhood in Norway, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boyhood in Norway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boy-life
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boyhood in Norway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Midnight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boyhood in Norway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deadly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boyhood in Norway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.