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Brother and Sister
Brother and Sister

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Brother and Sister is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Brother and Sister
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.
"I'm not going out," smiled Mother.
"You are going for me, dear.
These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."
"Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.
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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.

Brother and Sister

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Brother and Sister is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.
/wer ɑːr juː ˈɡoʊɪŋ ˈmʌðər æskt ˈbrʌðər wen hiː sɔː ðə ˈrʌbərz/
Line 2
"I'm not going out," smiled Mother.
Line 3
"You are going for me, dear.
/juː ɑːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ fɔːr miː dɪr/
Line 4
These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."
Line 5
"Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

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.

apron noun US /ˈeɪprən/

a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing

From this reading “These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."”

bake verb US /beɪk/

cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven

From this reading “"Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.”

Grandma's noun US /ˈɡrændmɑːz/

possessive form of “grandma” — the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."”

hop verb US /hɑːp/

jump lightly

From this reading “These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."”

Molly noun US /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading “"Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.”

parcel noun US /ˈpɑːrsəl/

a wrapped container

From this reading “"Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.”

pattern noun US /ˈpætərn/

a perceptual structure

From this reading “These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."”

rubbers noun US /ˈrʌbərz/

plural of “rubber” — an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products

From this reading “"Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

apronnounUS /ˈeɪprən/

a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

bakeverbUS /beɪk/

cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

beggedverbUS /beɡd/

inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

BrothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "You are going for me, dear.

dough-man

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

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "You are going for me, dear.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

Grandma'snounUS /ˈɡrændmɑːz/

possessive form of “grandma” — the mother of your father or mother

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

hopverbUS /hɑːp/

jump lightly

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

I'm

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

From this reading "I'm not going out," smiled Mother.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You are going for me, dear.

MollynounUS /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

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

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I'm not going out," smiled Mother.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I'm not going out," smiled Mother.

parcelnounUS /ˈpɑːrsəl/

a wrapped container

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/

a perceptual structure

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

rubbersnounUS /ˈrʌbərz/

plural of “rubber” — an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

runverbUS /rʌn/

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

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading "I'm not going out," smiled Mother.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?" begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Where are you going Mother?" asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading These are your rubbers and coat--hop into them and run across the street to Grandma's with this apron pattern."

Chapter 1 of Brother and Sister by Josephine Lawrence holds 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 1 of Brother and Sister contain?

Chapter 1 holds 80 sentences of Brother and Sister, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Brother and Sister by Josephine Lawrence exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 1 of Brother and Sister?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Brother and Sister

Common questions about reading Brother and Sister by Josephine Lawrence on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Brother and Sister?

Yes. All 1672 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4784 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Brother and Sister is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4784, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Brother and Sister take to read?

About 139 minutes of reading across 335 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Brother and Sister section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Brother and Sister 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 Brother and Sister

Words and structures a reader meets early in Brother and Sister, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brother and Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Going
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brother and Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brother and Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Asked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Brother and Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.