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Coppertop
Coppertop

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Coppertop is here in full — 33 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Coppertop
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”
“’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.
“On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”
“’Spose not!” said Tibbs.
“What’s the trouble this time?”
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Coppertop

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Coppertop is here in full — 33 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”
Line 2
“’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.
Line 3
“On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”
Line 4
“’Spose not!” said Tibbs.
Line 5
“What’s the trouble this time?”

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.

adventure verb US /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading “OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.””

chimed verb US /tʃaɪmd/

past form of “chime” — emit a sound

From this reading ““’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.”

chimney noun US /ˈtʃɪmni/

a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading “OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.””

dignified adjective US /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/

having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance

From this reading ““On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?””

emerged verb US /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading ““On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?””

ledge noun US /ledʒ/

a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading ““’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.”

nest noun US /nest/

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading ““’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.”

puff verb US /pʌf/

smoke and exhale strongly

From this reading “OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.””

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.

emerged from verb + particle counted as “emerge from”

In this reading ““On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?””

Come along verb + particle

come into being or existence, or appear on the scene

In this reading “OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.””

knew perfectly verb + particle counted as “know perfectly”

In this reading ““On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?””

puff of verb + particle

In this reading “OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.””

All words in this reading · 63

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 OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

ADVENTUREverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

chimedverbUS /tʃaɪmd/

past form of “chime” — emit a sound

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

chimneynounUS /ˈtʃɪmni/

a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

chimney-pot

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

contery

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

Coppertop

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/

having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

else

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

EsnounUS /es/

a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

KIDDIWEE

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

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 “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

ledgenounUS /ledʒ/

a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

nestnounUS /nest/

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “’Spose not!” said Tibbs.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

OFFadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

perfectlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrfəktli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

puffverbUS /pʌf/

smoke and exhale strongly

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

Spose

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

From this reading “’Spose not!” said Tibbs.

swallow's

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

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “What’s the trouble this time?”

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

TIBBS

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “What’s the trouble this time?”

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading “What’s the trouble this time?”

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “’Es we did!” chimed in Kiddiwee, from a swallow’s nest under the ledge of the chimney.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

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 “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

What's

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

From this reading “What’s the trouble this time?”

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

wouldn't

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

From this reading “On the contery,” said Coppertop, as she emerged from the chimney-pot in a dignified fashion, “on the contery, you knew perfectly well I was coming, else you wouldn’t have been waiting here, would you?”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading OFF ON AN ADVENTURE WITH TIBBS AND KIDDIWEE “Come along!” cried Tibbs, who was seated upon a puff of smoke above the chimney-pot, “we thought you were never coming.”

Chapter 2 of Coppertop by Harold Gaze holds 33 sentences, grouped into 7 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 2 of Coppertop contain?

Chapter 2 holds 33 sentences of Coppertop, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Coppertop by Harold Gaze exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 33 sentences, grouped into 7 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 2 of Coppertop?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Coppertop

Common questions about reading Coppertop by Harold Gaze on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Coppertop?

Yes. All 2013 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56516 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Coppertop is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56516, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Coppertop take to read?

About 167 minutes of reading across 403 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Coppertop section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Coppertop to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Coppertop

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

Four-poster
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coppertop; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Listened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coppertop; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Round
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coppertop; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coppertop; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.