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Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country
Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.
'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.
Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.
Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.
Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.
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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.

Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.
/hiːr aɪ ʃæl kwoʊt juː əˈɡen frʌm ðə ˈdaɪəri ʌv ˈʌŋkəl eb/
Line 2
'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.
Line 3
Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.
Line 4
Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.
Line 5
Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

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.

dark noun US /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading “'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.”

diary noun US /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading “Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.”

funny adjective US /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading “Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.”

gun noun US /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading ““Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.”

han noun US /hɑːn/

imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading “'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.”

quote verb US /kwoʊt/

repeat a passage from

From this reading “Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.”

Uncle noun US /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading “Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.”

whispered adjective US /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading ““Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

couldn't

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

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

diarynounUS /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

Don't

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

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

EbnounUS /eb/

a unit of information equal to 1000 petabits or 10^18 bits

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

funnyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

hannounUS /hɑːn/

imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

p'int

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

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

quoteverbUS /kwoʊt/

repeat a passage from

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

SaidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

ThoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

twas

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

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading 'It was so dark I couldn't see a han' before me.

we'd

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

From this reading Said 'twas his home an' we'd better leave.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Thought 'twas funny he could see me when I couldn't see him.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

yer

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

From this reading “Don't p'int yer gun at me,” the man whispered.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Here I shall quote you again from the diary of Uncle Eb.

Chapter 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country by Irving Bacheller holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country contain?

Chapter 5 holds 155 sentences of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country by Irving Bacheller exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 5 of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country

Common questions about reading Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country by Irving Bacheller on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country?

Yes. All 5901 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2799 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2799, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country take to read?

About 491 minutes of reading across 1181 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country section by section

How to work through Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country

Words and structures a reader meets early in Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Expedition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remarkable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Small
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.