Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.
So she asked the little girl to explain.
"Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.
And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.
Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.
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.

Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.
/hɑːrd wɜːrk ˈmɪsɪz braʊn dɪd nɑːt kwaɪt ˌʌndərˈstænd wʌt suː sed əˈbaʊt ðə stɔːrm ˈwɑːʃɪŋ əˈweɪ ðə ˈsɜːrkəs tents/
Line 2
So she asked the little girl to explain.
/soʊ ʃiː æskt ðə ˈlɪtəl ɡɜːrl tuː ɪkˈspleɪn/
Line 3
"Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.
/waɪ ˈbʌŋkər bluː sed suː toʊld hɜːr ˈmʌðər ðæt ɪf ðə stɔːrm wɑːz tuː hɑːrd ðə brʊk wʊd ɡet fʊl ʌv ˈwɔːtər ənd wɑːʃ əˈweɪ ˈaʊər ˈsɜːrkəs tents/
Line 4
And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.
Line 5
Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

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.

brook noun US /brʊk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading “"Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.”

Bunker noun US /ˈbʌŋkər/

a hazard on a golf course

From this reading “"Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.”

Bunny noun US /ˈbʌni/

a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit

From this reading “And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.”

circus noun US /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading “HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.”

Sue verb US /suː/

institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against

From this reading “HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.”

tents noun US /tents/

plural of “tent” — a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading “HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.”

wash verb US /wɑːʃ/

clean with some chemical process

From this reading “"Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.”

washing noun US /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/

the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)

From this reading “HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

BlueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

brooknounUS /brʊk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

BrownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

BunkernounUS /ˈbʌŋkər/

a hazard on a golf course

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

BunnynounUS /ˈbʌni/

a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

can't

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

don't

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

flashverbUS /flæʃ/

gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

HARDadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

it's

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

lightningnounUS /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/

abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

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

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

SueverbUS /suː/

institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

tentsnounUS /tents/

plural of “tent” — a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading So she asked the little girl to explain.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Only--Oh, dear!" cried Sue, as she saw a very bright flash of lightning.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

washverbUS /wɑːʃ/

clean with some chemical process

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/

the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

WORKverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading HARD WORK Mrs. Brown did not quite understand what Sue said about the storm washing away the circus tents.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Why, Bunker Blue said," Sue told her mother, "that if the storm was too hard, the brook would get full of water, and wash away our circus tents.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And I don't want that, 'cause me and Bunny is going to do an act, only it's a secret and I can't tell you.

Chapter 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus by Laura Lee Hope holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus contain?

Chapter 18 holds 154 sentences of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus by Laura Lee Hope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 18 of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus

Common questions about reading Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus by Laura Lee Hope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus?

Yes. All 3652 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16956 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16956, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus take to read?

About 304 minutes of reading across 731 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus section by section

How to work through Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus 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 Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Let's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Circus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bunny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.