Bulldog Carney

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Bulldog Carney is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Alexander Fraser • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

|I've thought it over many ways and I'm going to tell this story as it happened, for I believe the reader will feel he is getting a true picture of things as they were but will not be again.

A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/86

Bulldog Carney William Alexander Fraser

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Bulldog Carney is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

|I've thought it over many ways and I'm going to tell this story as it happened, for I believe the reader will feel he is getting a true picture of things as they were but will not be again. A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened? It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was. To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved. He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

Bulldog Carney

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Bulldog Carney is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

|I've thought it over many ways and I'm going to tell this story as it happened, for I believe the reader will feel he is getting a true picture of things as they were but will not be again.

Line 2

A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

/ə ˈlɪtəl ˈpædɪŋ ʌp ʌv ðə lʌv ˈɪntrəst ə ˈlɪtəl ˈspɪlɪŋ ʌv blʌd wʊd pərˈhæps meɪk ɪt ˈstrɔːŋər ˈteknɪkəli bʌt wʊd ɪt ˈlesən hɪz feɪθ ðæt ðə ˈkjʊriəs θɪŋ ˈhæpənd/

Line 3

It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

Line 4

To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

Line 5

He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

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.

harmoniously adverb US /hɑːrˈmoʊniəsli/

in a harmonious manner

From this reading “He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.”

knocks noun US /nɑːks/

plural of “knock” — the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)

From this reading “He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.”

lessen verb US /ˈlesən/

decrease in size, extent, or range

From this reading “A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?”

merging noun US /ˈmɜːrdʒɪŋ/

the act of joining together as one

From this reading “He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.”

padding noun US /ˈpædɪŋ/

artifact consisting of soft or resilient material used to fill or give shape or protect or add comfort

peeved adjective US /piːvd/

aroused to impatience or anger

From this reading “To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.”

spilling verb US /ˈspɪlɪŋ/

-ing form of “spill” — cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container

technically adverb US /ˈteknɪkəli/

with regard to technique

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

many ways adjective + noun

In this reading “|I've thought it over many ways and I'm going to tell this story as it happened, for I believe the reader will feel he is getting a true picture of things as they were but will not be again.”

curious thing adjective + noun

In this reading “A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?”

at the beginning preposition + article + noun counted as “at … beginning”

In this reading “To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 |I've thought it over many ways and I'm going to tell this story as it happened, for I believe the reader will feel he is getting a true picture of things as they were but will not be again.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

atmospherenounUS /ˈætməsfɪr/

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

Cameron

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

From this reading To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

chapnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

diffidentadjective

showing modest reserve

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

harmoniouslyadverbUS /hɑːrˈmoʊniəsli/

in a harmonious manner

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

I'm

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

I've

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

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

It's

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

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

knocksnounUS /nɑːks/

plural of “knock” — the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

leanverbUS /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

lessenverbUS /ˈlesən/

decrease in size, extent, or range

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

mergingnounUS /ˈmɜːrdʒɪŋ/

the act of joining together as one

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

paddingnounUS /ˈpædɪŋ/

artifact consisting of soft or resilient material used to fill or give shape or protect or add comfort

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

peevedadjectiveUS /piːvd/

aroused to impatience or anger

From this reading To begin at the beginning, Cameron was peeved.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

rudeadjectiveUS /ruːd/

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

savedadjectiveUS /seɪvd/

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

spillingverbUS /ˈspɪlɪŋ/

-ing form of “spill” — cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

strongeradjectiveUS /ˈstrɔːŋər/

comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

technicallyadverbUS /ˈteknɪkəli/

with regard to technique

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

westernadjectiveUS /ˈwestərn/

relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He was rather a diffident chap, never merging harmoniously into the western atmosphere; what saved him from rude knocks was the fact that he was lean of speech.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading A little padding up of the love interest, a little spilling of blood, would, perhaps, make it stronger technically, but would it lessen his faith that the curious thing happened?

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading It's beyond me to know--I write it as it was.

Chapter 1 of Bulldog Carney by William Alexander Fraser holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 1 of Bulldog Carney contain?

Chapter 1 holds 434 sentences of Bulldog Carney, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Bulldog Carney by William Alexander Fraser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 Bulldog Carney?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 Bulldog Carney

Common questions about reading Bulldog Carney by William Alexander Fraser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bulldog Carney?

Yes. All 3902 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bulldog Carney is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45926, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bulldog Carney take to read?

About 325 minutes of reading across 781 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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

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Vocabulary met early in Bulldog Carney

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bulldog Carney, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thought: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bulldog Carney; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Going: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bulldog Carney; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bulldog Carney; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happened: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bulldog Carney; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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