Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Christmas-Tree Land is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING. 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
Christmas-Tree Land
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Christmas-Tree Land is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
FAIRY
HOUSEKEEPING.
'Neat,
like
bees,
as
sweet
and
busy, .
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Christmas-Tree Land
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Christmas-Tree Land is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
FAIRY
HOUSEKEEPING.
/ˈferi ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
Line 2
'Neat,
like
bees,
as
sweet
and
busy, .
/niːt laɪk biːz æz swiːt ənd ˈbɪzi/
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
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.
bees
noun
US /biːz/
plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading “'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .”
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading “FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING.”
housekeeping
noun
US /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
the work of cleaning and running a house
From this reading “FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .”
Neat
adjective
US /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading “'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .”
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .”
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.
All words in this reading · 9
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
beesnounUS /biːz/
plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING.
HOUSEKEEPINGnounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
the work of cleaning and running a house
From this reading FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
NeatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading 'Neat, like bees, as sweet and busy, .
Chapter 4 of Christmas-Tree Land by Mrs. Molesworth holds 263 sentences, grouped into 53 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 4 of Christmas-Tree Land contain?
Chapter 4 holds 263 sentences of Christmas-Tree Land, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Christmas-Tree Land by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 263 sentences, grouped into 53 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 Christmas-Tree Land?
Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 53 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 Christmas-Tree Land
Common questions about reading Christmas-Tree Land by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Christmas-Tree Land?
Yes. All 2760 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39375 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Christmas-Tree Land is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #39375, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Christmas-Tree Land take to read?
About 230 minutes of reading across 552 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Christmas-Tree Land section by section
How to work through Christmas-Tree Land section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Christmas-Tree Land to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Christmas-Tree Land
Words and structures a reader meets early in Christmas-Tree Land, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- White
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas-Tree Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Castle
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas-Tree Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Journey
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas-Tree Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Fairy
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas-Tree Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.