Catty Atkins

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Catty Atkins is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 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

We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

“We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

“Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

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 XXI Reading 1/35

Catty Atkins

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Catty Atkins is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

/wiː droʊv əˈlɔːŋ æt ə ˈprɪti ɡʊd klɪp fɔːr tuː ɔːr θriː maɪlz ənd noʊ aɪˈdiːəz əˈkɜːrd tuː ʌs/

Line 2

We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

Line 3

It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

Line 4

“We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

Line 5

“Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

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.

buggy noun US /ˈbʌɡi/

a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse

From this reading “It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.”

Catty noun US /ˈkæti/

any of various units of weight used in southeastern Asia (especially a Chinese measure equal to 500 grams)

From this reading ““Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.”

churn verb US /tʃɜːrn/

stir (cream) vigorously in order to make butter

From this reading “It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.”

clip noun US /klɪp/

a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun

From this reading “We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.”

drove noun US /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading “We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.”

hotel noun US /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading “It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.”

ideas noun US /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.”

occurred verb US /əˈkɜːrd/

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading “We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.”

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.

three miles noun + noun counted as “three mile”

In this reading “We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.”

look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.”

wait for verb + particle

In this reading ““We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.”

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

In this reading “It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.”

turn up verb + adjective

appear or become visible; make a showing

In this reading ““We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

buggynounUS /ˈbʌɡi/

a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

CattynounUS /ˈkæti/

any of various units of weight used in southeastern Asia (especially a Chinese measure equal to 500 grams)

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

churnverbUS /tʃɜːrn/

stir (cream) vigorously in order to make butter

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

clipnounUS /klɪp/

a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

didn't

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

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

don't

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

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

drovenounUS /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

Kinderhook's

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

Litchfield

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

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

somethin

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

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

ThingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It seemed to us to be just as hard to get a look at Kinderhook’s churn in his buggy as it was to get a look at it in his room at the hotel.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We drove along at a pretty good clip for two or three miles and no ideas occurred to us.

We'll

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

From this reading “We’ll just have to wait for somethin’ to turn up,” says I.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading We knew we had to do something before we got to Litchfield, but when it came to doing it we didn’t seem to be any good.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Things don’t never turn up unless you _make_ ’em,” says Catty.

Chapter 21 of Catty Atkins by Clarence Budington Kelland holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 21 of Catty Atkins contain?

Chapter 21 holds 177 sentences of Catty Atkins, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Catty Atkins by Clarence Budington Kelland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 21 of Catty Atkins?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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.

How to read Catty Atkins section by section

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 XXI

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Vocabulary met early in Catty Atkins