Chapter 2 of Captain Margaret is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Captain Margaret is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“What were your amusements?” said Margaret. “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain. “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays. Or perhaps fish. Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
Chapter 2 of Captain Margaret 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
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.
plural of “amusement” — a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading ““What were your amusements?” said Margaret.”
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading ““We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.”
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading “Or perhaps fish.”
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading ““We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.”
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading “Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.”
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading “Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.”
plural of “saturday” — the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading ““We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.”
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading ““We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.”
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.
In this reading ““Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
plural of “amusement” — a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading Or perhaps fish.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or perhaps fish.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
by chance
From this reading Or perhaps fish.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
plural of “saturday” — the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Oh, as to them,” replied the captain.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Or sometimes we’d go a lot of us among the Indians, to a paw-waw.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading “We’d go hunt a wild cow on Saturdays.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What were your amusements?” said Margaret.
Chapter 2 of Captain Margaret by John Masefield 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.
Chapter 2 holds 403 sentences of Captain Margaret, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Captain Margaret by John Masefield 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.
Common questions about reading Captain Margaret by John Masefield on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73167 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73167, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Captain Margaret section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Captain Margaret to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Captain Margaret, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
