Chapter 2 of Christmas: A Story is here in full — 471 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Christmas: A Story is here in full — 471 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"The _nonsense_?" Jenny repeated. "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them. And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things. Ain't that so?"
Chapter 2 of Christmas: A Story is here in full — 471 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/94 · 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.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading “And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.”
your parents
From this reading “"If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.”
United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
From this reading “Jenny repeated.”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
recurring again and again
From this reading “Jenny repeated.”
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “"If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ain't that so?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
a quad with a square body
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
your parents
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
From this reading Jenny repeated.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading "The _nonsense_?"
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
recurring again and again
From this reading Jenny repeated.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Ain't that so?"
carry out
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Ain't that so?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The _nonsense_?"
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading And if you do like 'em you don't want to have to wait to Christmas to give 'em things.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If you don't like folks, you don't want to give nothing to them or take nothing from them.
Chapter 2 of Christmas: A Story by Zona Gale holds 471 sentences, grouped into 95 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 471 sentences of Christmas: A Story, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Christmas: A Story by Zona Gale exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 471 sentences, grouped into 95 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 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 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 Christmas: A Story by Zona Gale on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2331 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20516 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20516, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 194 minutes of reading across 467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Christmas: A Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Christmas: A Story 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 Christmas: A Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
