Chapter 2 of Danger at the Drawbridge is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Danger at the Drawbridge is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny. Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth. She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose. "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt. "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
Chapter 2 of Danger at the Drawbridge is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading “She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.”
in a haughty manner
From this reading “She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.”
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
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.
In this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
In this reading “Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.”
In this reading “CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.”
In this reading “Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
(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 "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
placed crosswise
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
without deviation
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
in a haughty manner
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "It's Mrs. Kippenberg, all right."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
reflecting optimism
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
in the direction of
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
except if; if not
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading She walked haughtily, but with grim purpose.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Unless we do some fast talking, out we go!" muttered Salt.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her pale blue eyes glinted with anger and there were hard lines about her mouth.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading CHAPTER _BEHIND THE BUSHES_ A large, middle-aged woman in rose-colored silk, crossed the room directly toward Salt and Penny.
Chapter 2 of Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 433 sentences of Danger at the Drawbridge, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3917 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34552 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34552, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 326 minutes of reading across 784 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Danger at the Drawbridge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Danger at the Drawbridge 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 Danger at the Drawbridge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
