Catty Atkins

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Catty Atkins is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clarence Budington Kelland • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

It was still there, neck and all.

After the aim I took it didn’t seem possible, so I walked up close to find out if maybe I hadn’t slammed a hole right through it that couldn’t be seen—but there wasn’t any hole.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter I Reading 1/40

Catty Atkins

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Catty Atkins is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

Line 2

My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

/maɪ aɪˈdiːə wɑːz tuː bʌst ɪt raɪt æt ðə nek/

Line 3

Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

/wel aɪ dʒɜːrkt ɑːn ðə ˈtrɪɡər ənd ðə ɡʌn went ɔːf ənd aɪ lʊkt æt ðə ˈbɑːtəl/

Line 4

It was still there, neck and all.

/ɪt wɑːz stɪl ðer nek ənd ɔːl/

Line 5

After the aim I took it didn’t seem possible, so I walked up close to find out if maybe I hadn’t slammed a hole right through it that couldn’t be seen—but there wasn’t any hole.

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.

aim verb US /eɪm/

point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

From this reading “After the aim I took it didn’t seem possible, so I walked up close to find out if maybe I hadn’t slammed a hole right through it that couldn’t be seen—but there wasn’t any hole.”

aimed verb US /eɪmd/

past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

From this reading “I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.”

barn noun US /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading “I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.”

bottle noun US /ˈbɑːtəl/

a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped

From this reading “I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.”

bust verb US /bʌst/

ruin completely

From this reading “My idea was to bust it right at the neck.”

jerked verb US /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading “Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.”

slammed verb US /slæmd/

inflected form of “slam” — close violently

trigger verb US /ˈtrɪɡər/

put in motion or move to act

From this reading “Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.”

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.

find out verb + adjective

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

In this reading “After the aim I took it didn’t seem possible, so I walked up close to find out if maybe I hadn’t slammed a hole right through it that couldn’t be seen—but there wasn’t any hole.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.”

went off verb + particle counted as “go off”

run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along

In this reading “Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.”

seem possible verb + adjective

against the side preposition + article + noun counted as “against … side”

In this reading “I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After the aim I took it didn’t seem possible, so I walked up close to find out if maybe I hadn’t slammed a hole right through it that couldn’t be seen—but there wasn’t any hole.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

aimverbUS /eɪm/

point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

aimedverbUS /eɪmd/

past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It was still there, neck and all.

all-git-out

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

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

barnnounUS /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

bottlenounUS /ˈbɑːtəl/

a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

bustverbUS /bʌst/

ruin completely

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

carefuladjectiveUS /ˈkerfəl/

exercising caution or showing care or attention

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

couldn't

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

didn't

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

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

hadn't

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

holenounUS /hoʊl/

an opening into or through something

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

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

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

maybeadverbUS /ˈmeɪbi/

by chance

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

slammedverbUS /slæmd/

inflected form of “slam” — close violently

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading It was still there, neck and all.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I put a bottle on a box against the side of the barn and aimed as careful as all-git-out.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It was still there, neck and all.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

triggerverbUS /ˈtrɪɡər/

put in motion or move to act

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My idea was to bust it right at the neck.

wasn't

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

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Well, I jerked on the trigger and the gun went off and I looked at the bottle.

Chapter 1 of Catty Atkins by Clarence Budington Kelland holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Catty Atkins contain?

Chapter 1 holds 203 sentences of Catty Atkins, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Catty Atkins by Clarence Budington Kelland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Catty Atkins?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 Catty Atkins

Common questions about reading Catty Atkins by Clarence Budington Kelland on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Catty Atkins?

Yes. All 5090 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56247 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Catty Atkins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56247, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Catty Atkins take to read?

About 424 minutes of reading across 1018 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 24 chapters of Catty Atkins to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Catty Atkins

Words and structures a reader meets early in Catty Atkins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Bottle: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catty Atkins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catty Atkins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aimed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catty Atkins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Careful: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catty Atkins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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Vocabulary met early in Catty Atkins