Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Daddy-Long-Legs
Daddy-Long-Legs

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Daddy-Long-Legs
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Yours, J. A.
Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.
I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.
I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.
Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.
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.

Daddy-Long-Legs

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Yours, J. A.
/jʊrz dʒeɪ ə/
Line 2
Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.
/nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ aɪ dʒʌst red ðɪs ˈoʊvər bɪˈfɔːr ˈsiːlɪŋ ɪt/
Line 3
I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.
Line 4
I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.
/aɪ ˈheɪsən tuː əˈʃʊr juː ðæt aɪ æm jʌŋ ənd ˈhæpi ənd ɪɡˈzuːbərənt ənd aɪ trʌst juː ɑːr ðə seɪm/
Line 5
Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

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.

assure verb US /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading “I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.”

atmosphere noun US /ˈætməsfɪr/

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading “I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.”

birthdays noun US /ˈbɜːrθdeɪz/

plural of “birthday” — an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading “Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.”

Daddy noun US /ˈdædi/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading “Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.”

exuberant adjective US /ɪɡˈzuːbərənt/

joyously unrestrained

From this reading “I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.”

hasten verb US /ˈheɪsən/

act or move at high speed

From this reading “I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.”

misty adjective US /ˈmɪsti/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading “I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.”

sealing noun US /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the act of treating something to make it repel water

From this reading “Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Yours, J. A.

ALIVEDNESS

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

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

atmospherenounUS /ˈætməsfɪr/

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

birthdaysnounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪz/

plural of “birthday” — an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

DaddynounUS /ˈdædi/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

don't

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

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

exuberantadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzuːbərənt/

joyously unrestrained

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

hastenverbUS /ˈheɪsən/

act or move at high speed

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading Yours, J. A.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

mistyadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsti/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

NextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

sealingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the act of treating something to make it repel water

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Next morning I just read this over before sealing it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

trustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

WHYnounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading I don't know WHY I cast such a misty atmosphere over life.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading I hasten to assure you that I am young and happy and exuberant; and I trust you are the same.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

YourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading Yours, J. A.

YouthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with ALIVEDNESS of spirit, so even if your hair is grey, Daddy, you can still be a boy.

Chapter 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster holds 188 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs contain?

Chapter 12 holds 188 sentences of Daddy-Long-Legs, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 12 of Daddy-Long-Legs?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Daddy-Long-Legs

Common questions about reading Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Daddy-Long-Legs?

Yes. All 2516 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #157 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Daddy-Long-Legs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #157, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Daddy-Long-Legs take to read?

About 209 minutes of reading across 504 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Daddy-Long-Legs section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Daddy-Long-Legs 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 Daddy-Long-Legs

Words and structures a reader meets early in Daddy-Long-Legs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Daddy-Long-Legs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wednesday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Daddy-Long-Legs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Daddy-Long-Legs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Month
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Daddy-Long-Legs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.