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Eight Girls and a Dog
Eight Girls and a Dog

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Carolyn Wells • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Eight Girls and a Dog
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”
“Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.
“Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”
“Is that all?” said Marguerite.
“I thought you meant something nice.”
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.

Eight Girls and a Dog

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”
Line 2
“Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.
Line 3
“Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”
Line 4
“Is that all?” said Marguerite.
/ɪz ðæt ɔːl sed ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
Line 5
“I thought you meant something nice.”
/aɪ θɔːt juː ment ˈsʌmθɪŋ naɪs/

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.

elucidate verb US /ɪˈluːsədeɪt/

make clear and (more) comprehensible

From this reading ““Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expound verb US /ɪkˈspaʊnd/

add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

From this reading ““Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fertile adjective US /ˈfɜːrtəl/

capable of reproducing

From this reading “GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hammock noun US /ˈhæmək/

a small natural hill

From this reading ““Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearers noun US /ˈhiːrərz/

plural of “hearer” — someone who listens attentively

From this reading “GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lazily adverb US /ˈlæzəli/

in a slow and lazy manner

From this reading ““Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Marguerite noun US /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/

tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum

From this reading ““Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veranda noun US /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading “GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

fertile brain adjective + noun

In this reading “GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.””

244 times in 426,211 chapters
on the veranda preposition + article + noun counted as “on … veranda”

In this reading “GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.””

2,590 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 55

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 GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BURNSnounUS /bɜːrnz/

United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dawdled

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Pending verification
elucidateverbUS /ɪˈluːsədeɪt/

make clear and (more) comprehensible

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expoundverbUS /ɪkˈspaʊnd/

add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fertileadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrtəl/

capable of reproducing

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formingverbUS /ˈfɔːrmɪŋ/

-ing form of “form” — create (as an entity)

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fro

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

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Pending verification
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GENIUSnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hammocknounUS /ˈhæmək/

a small natural hill

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearersnounUS /ˈhiːrərz/

plural of “hearer” — someone who listens attentively

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
it's

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

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

Pending verification
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lazilyadverbUS /ˈlæzəli/

in a slow and lazy manner

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
magnificentadjectiveUS /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/

characterized by grandeur

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/

tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
murmuredverbUS /ˈmɜːrmərd/

past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NannounUS /næn/

your grandmother

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
niceadjectiveUS /naɪs/

pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PrayverbUS /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
schemenounUS /skiːm/

an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading GENIUS BURNS ‟MY hearers,” said Nan, as they all dawdled on the veranda one morning, “a truly magnificent scheme is forming itself in my fertile brain.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I thought you meant something nice.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog by Carolyn Wells holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog contain?

Chapter 9 holds 159 sentences of Eight Girls and a Dog, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog by Carolyn Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 9 of Eight Girls and a Dog?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Eight Girls and a Dog

Common questions about reading Eight Girls and a Dog by Carolyn Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Eight Girls and a Dog?

Yes. All 2220 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58423 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Eight Girls and a Dog is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58423, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Eight Girls and a Dog take to read?

About 185 minutes of reading across 444 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Eight Girls and a Dog section by section

How to work through Eight Girls and a Dog section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Eight Girls and a Dog 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 Eight Girls and a Dog

Words and structures a reader meets early in Eight Girls and a Dog, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pillows
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Girls and a Dog; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pitchers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Girls and a Dog; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marjorie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Girls and a Dog; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Framing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Girls and a Dog; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.