Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
By Shore and Sedge
By Shore and Sedge

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of By Shore and Sedge is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for By Shore and Sedge
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.
I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"
She caught her breath.
"I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.
There!"
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.

By Shore and Sedge

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of By Shore and Sedge is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.
Line 2
I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"
Line 3
She caught her breath.
/ʃiː kɑːt hɜːr breθ/
Line 4
"I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.
Line 5
There!"
/ðer/

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.

crest noun US /krest/

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

filthy adjective US /ˈfɪlθi/

disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter

From this reading “"I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.”

mountainous adjective US /ˈmaʊntənəs/

having hills and crags

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

naughty adjective US /ˈnɔːti/

suggestive of sexual impropriety

From this reading “"I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.”

Sarah noun US /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

sob verb US /sɑːb/

weep convulsively

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

Walker noun US /ˈwɔːkər/

New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

Walker's noun US /ˈwɔːkərz/

possessive form of “walker” — New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading “"I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading She caught her breath.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading She caught her breath.

crestnounUS /krest/

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/

soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

don't

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

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

filthyadjectiveUS /ˈfɪlθi/

disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She caught her breath.

horridadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəd/

exceedingly bad

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

mountainousadjectiveUS /ˈmaʊntənəs/

having hills and crags

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

naughtyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːti/

suggestive of sexual impropriety

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

SarahnounUS /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She caught her breath.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "I--want--'em--to say--what a naughty--bad--dirty--horrid--filthy--little girl Sarah Walker is--so I do.

sobverbUS /sɑːb/

weep convulsively

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There!"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

WalkernounUS /ˈwɔːkər/

New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

Walker'snounUS /ˈwɔːkərz/

possessive form of “walker” — New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "I don't," said Sarah Walker's voice, slowly rising until it broke on the crest of a mountainous sob, "I--don't--want--'em--to--love me.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I--don't want--'em--to say--what a--dear--good--little girl--Sarah Walker is!"

Chapter 4 of By Shore and Sedge by Bret Harte holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 4 of By Shore and Sedge contain?

Chapter 4 holds 172 sentences of By Shore and Sedge, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of By Shore and Sedge by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 4 of By Shore and Sedge?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 By Shore and Sedge

Common questions about reading By Shore and Sedge by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of By Shore and Sedge?

Yes. All 2221 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2178 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of By Shore and Sedge is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2178, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does By Shore and Sedge take to read?

About 185 minutes of reading across 445 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read By Shore and Sedge section by section

How to work through By Shore and Sedge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of By Shore and Sedge 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 By Shore and Sedge

Words and structures a reader meets early in By Shore and Sedge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Shore and Sedge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hundred
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Shore and Sedge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Shore and Sedge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Camped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Shore and Sedge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.