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Field and Forest
Field and Forest

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Field and Forest is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Field and Forest
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.
AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.
WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.
BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.
NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.
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.

Field and Forest

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Field and Forest is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.
/ðə ˈʌpwərd ənd ˈɔːnwərd ˈsɪriz ðə ˈfɔːrtʃənz ʌv ə ˈfɑːrmər/
Line 2
AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.
Line 3
WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.
/wɪð ˈfɔːrˈtiːn ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/
Line 4
BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.
/ˈbɑːstən liː ənd ˈʃepərd/
Line 5
NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

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.

fortunes noun US /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading “_THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.”

fourteen noun US /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading “WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.”

illustrations noun US /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading “WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.”

lee noun US /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading “BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.”

navy noun US /ˈneɪvi/

an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.”

onward adverb US /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading “_THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.”

shepard noun US /ˈʃepərd/

United States author of surrealistic allegorical plays (born in 1943)

From this reading “BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.”

starry adjective US /ˈstɑːriː/

abounding with or resembling stars

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.”

All words in this reading · 33

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 _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

ABROADadverbUS /əˈbrɔːd/

to or in a foreign country

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

AMERICAnounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

ARMYnounUS /ˈɑːrmi/

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

BOAT-CLUB

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

BOSTONnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.

CHARLESnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

DILLINGHAM

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

From this reading NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

FARMERnounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

FLAGnounUS /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

FORTUNESnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

FOURTEENnounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.

ILLUSTRATIONSnounUS /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.

LAKE-SHORE

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

LEEnounUS /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.

NAVYnounUS /ˈneɪvi/

an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

ONWARDadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

SERIESnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

SHEPARDnounUS /ˈʃepərd/

United States author of surrealistic allegorical plays (born in 1943)

From this reading BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.

STARRYadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːriː/

abounding with or resembling stars

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

STORIESnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — 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 AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

UPWARDadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/

directed up

From this reading _THE UPWARD AND ONWARD SERIES._ THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.

WOODVILLE

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading NEW YORK: CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.

YOUNGadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE STARRY FLAG STORIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE STORIES," ETC.

Chapter 1 of Field and Forest by Oliver Optic holds 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 1 of Field and Forest contain?

Chapter 1 holds 147 sentences of Field and Forest, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Field and Forest by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 1 of Field and Forest?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Field and Forest

Common questions about reading Field and Forest by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Field and Forest?

Yes. All 3333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24582 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Field and Forest is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24582, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Field and Forest take to read?

About 277 minutes of reading across 667 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Field and Forest section by section

How to work through Field and Forest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Field and Forest 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 Field and Forest

Words and structures a reader meets early in Field and Forest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Upward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Field and Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Onward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Field and Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Field and Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortunes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Field and Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.