Chapter 1 of Fiddles 1909 is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Fiddles 1909 is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This is Marny’s story, not mine. He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth. “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out. “That’s where he belongs. I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
Chapter 1 of Fiddles 1909 is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 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.
a small ball with a hole through the middle
From this reading “I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.”
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading ““That’s where he belongs.”
large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called “elk” in Europe and “moose” in North America
From this reading “I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.”
possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man
plural of “fiddle” — bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading ““Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.”
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading “He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.”
be suspended or hanging
From this reading ““Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.”
fasten with tacks
From this reading “He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.”
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 He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
a small ball with a hole through the middle
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “That’s where he belongs.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called “elk” in Europe and “moose” in North America
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
plural of “fiddle” — bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
the act of departing
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
fasten with tacks
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I’d have given a ten-acre if he could have drawn a bead on that elk himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That’s where he belongs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is Marny’s story, not mine.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He had a hammer in his hand at the time and a tack between his teeth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “Going to hang Fiddles right under the old fellow’s head,” he burst out.
in or at the place that
From this reading “That’s where he belongs.
Chapter 1 of Fiddles 1909 by Francis Hopkinson Smith holds 255 sentences, grouped into 51 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 1 holds 255 sentences of Fiddles 1909, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Fiddles 1909 by Francis Hopkinson Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 255 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 1 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 Fiddles 1909 by Francis Hopkinson Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 255 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23698 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23698, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 21 minutes of reading across 51 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fiddles 1909 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Fiddles 1909 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 Fiddles 1909, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
