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Boys and Girls Bookshelf
Boys and Girls Bookshelf

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Boys and Girls Bookshelf
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.
"Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.
So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.
When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.
The way is long and I am weary.
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.

Boys and Girls Bookshelf

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.
/aɪ ˈoʊpənd ðə bæɡ ðə liːst ˈlɪtəl bɪt ənd ðə ɑːks dʒʌmpt aʊt ənd ðə ˈlɪtəl bɔɪ tʃeɪst hɪm ˈoʊvər ðə hɪl ənd ˈɪntuː ðə wʊd sed ðə oʊld ˈwʊmən/
Line 2
"Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.
/ðen aɪ mʌst teɪk ðə ˈlɪtəl bɔɪ sed ðə fɑːks/
Line 3
So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.
/soʊ hiː ˈɡæðərd ʌp ðə ˈlɪtəl bɔɪ ənd pʊt hɪm ˈɪntuː ðə bæɡ ənd taɪd ðə strɪŋ ənd θruː ðə bæɡ ˈoʊvər hɪz ˈʃoʊldər ənd ˈstɑːrtɪd ɔːf daʊn ðə roʊd/
Line 4
When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.
/wen hiː keɪm tuː ðə nekst haʊs hiː nɑːkt æt ðə dɔːr ənd sed ɡʊd ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ɡʊd ˈmʌðər/
Line 5
The way is long and I am weary.
/ðə weɪ ɪz lɔːŋ ənd aɪ æm ˈwɪri/

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.

bag noun US /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading “"I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.”

chased noun US /tʃeɪst/

a person who is being chased

From this reading “"I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.”

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 “"Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.”

jumped verb US /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “"I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.”

knocked verb US /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading “When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.”

string noun US /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading “So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.”

tied adjective US /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading “So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.”

weary verb US /ˈwɪri/

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading “The way is long and I am weary.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading The way is long and I am weary.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

chasednounUS /tʃeɪst/

a person who is being chased

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

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 "Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The way is long and I am weary.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

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 The way is long and I am weary.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

oxnounUS /ɑːks/

an adult castrated bull of the genus Bos; especially Bos taurus

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Then I must take the little boy," said the Fox.

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading So he gathered up the little boy and put him into the bag and tied the string and threw the bag over his shoulder and started off down the road.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The way is long and I am weary.

wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading The way is long and I am weary.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he came to the next house he knocked at the door and said: "Good morning, Good Mother.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

woodnounUS /wʊd/

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading "I opened the bag the least little bit, and the ox jumped out and the little boy chased him over the hill and into the wood," said the old woman.

Chapter 12 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf contain?

Chapter 12 holds 403 sentences of Boys and Girls Bookshelf, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf

Common questions about reading Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Boys and Girls Bookshelf?

Yes. All 5116 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25359 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25359, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Boys and Girls Bookshelf take to read?

About 426 minutes of reading across 1024 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Boys and Girls Bookshelf section by section

How to work through Boys and Girls Bookshelf 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf

Words and structures a reader meets early in Boys and Girls Bookshelf, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls Bookshelf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Equal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls Bookshelf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls Bookshelf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underlined
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls Bookshelf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.