Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Cricket
Cricket

Chapter XV · Going to the Cider Mill

Chapter XV of Cricket, “Going to the Cider Mill,” is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Cricket
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.
All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.
Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.
Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.
“What are children made of?” sighed auntie.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Cricket

Chapter XV · Going to the Cider Mill

Chapter XV of Cricket, “Going to the Cider Mill,” is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.
/ɪt wɑːz ə hɑːt ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ ˌæftərˈnuːn ɪn leɪt ˈɑːɡəst/
Line 2
All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.
/ɔːl ðə ɡroʊn ˈpiːpəl hæd rɪˈtaɪrd tuː ˈdɑːrkənd ruːmz ɪn ðə ˈkuːləst depθs ʌv ðə ɡreɪt stoʊn haʊs ɪn sɜːrtʃ ʌv wʌt ˈkʌmfərt kʊd biː faʊnd/
Line 3
Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.
/ˈiːvɪn nɜːrs hæd ɡɔːn tuː bed wɪð ə ˈhedeɪk/
Line 4
Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.
/ˈmɑːmə ənd ˈænti hæd traɪd tuː sɪt ɑːn ðə piˈæzə fɔːr ə taɪm tuː wɑːtʃ ðə ˈlɪtəl wʌnz bʌt æt læst ðeɪ tuː hæd tuː ɡɪv ɪt ʌp/
Line 5
“What are children made of?” sighed auntie.
/wʌt ɑːr ˈtʃɪldrən meɪd ʌv saɪd ˈænti/

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.

August noun US /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading “It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.”

auntie noun US /ˈænti/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading “Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.”

coolest adjective US /ˈkuːləst/

superlative of “cool” — neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

darkened adjective US /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

depths noun US /depθs/

(plural) the deepest and most remote part

From this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

headache noun US /ˈhedeɪk/

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

From this reading “Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.”

piazza noun US /piˈæzə/

a public square with room for pedestrians

From this reading “Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.”

scorching adjective US /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/

hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

From this reading “It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.”

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.

on the piazza preposition + article + noun counted as “on … piazza”

In this reading “Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.”

grown people adjective + noun

In this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

great stone adjective + noun

In this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

sit on verb + particle

In this reading “Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.”

stone house noun + noun

In this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

search of verb + particle

In this reading “All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

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 All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “What are children made of?” sighed auntie.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

auntienounUS /ˈænti/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading “What are children made of?” sighed auntie.

comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

coolestadjectiveUS /ˈkuːləst/

superlative of “cool” — neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

depthsnounUS /depθs/

(plural) the deepest and most remote part

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

headachenounUS /ˈhedeɪk/

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading “What are children made of?” sighed auntie.

MammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

nurseverbUS /nɜːrs/

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

piazzanounUS /piˈæzə/

a public square with room for pedestrians

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

scorchingadjectiveUS /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/

hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

sighedverbUS /saɪd/

past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading “What are children made of?” sighed auntie.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a hot, scorching afternoon in late August.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Mamma and auntie had tried to sit on the piazza, for a time, to watch the little ones, but at last they, too, had to give it up.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading All the grown people had retired to darkened rooms in the coolest depths of the great stone house, in search of what comfort could be found.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Even nurse had gone to bed with a headache.

Chapter 15 of Cricket by Elizabeth Weston Timlow holds 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 15 of Cricket contain?

Chapter 15 holds 84 sentences of Cricket, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Cricket by Elizabeth Weston Timlow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 15 of Cricket?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Cricket

Common questions about reading Cricket by Elizabeth Weston Timlow on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Cricket?

Yes. All 3528 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67430 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Cricket is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #67430, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Cricket take to read?

About 294 minutes of reading across 706 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Cricket section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Cricket 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 Cricket

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

Typography
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Simonds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Electrotyping
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.