Chapter 21 of Footprints is here in full — 575 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Footprints is here in full — 575 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred. Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss? Puss? Puss? Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
Chapter 21 of Footprints is here in full — 575 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/115 · 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.
highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
From this reading “Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?”
inflected form of “bat” — strike with, or as if with a baseball bat
From this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading “Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?”
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
plural of “paw” — a clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped
From this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
obscene terms for female genitals
From this reading “Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?”
plural of “tile” — a flat thin rectangular slab (as of fired clay or rubber or linoleum) used to cover surfaces
From this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
past form of “topple” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
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 “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
In this reading “I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.”
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 I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
inflected form of “bat” — strike with, or as if with a baseball bat
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
a variable color averaging a deep pink
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
the outside boundary or surface of something
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
young domestic cat
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
plural of “paw” — a clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
obscene terms for female genitals
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Dr. Elm snapped alluring fingers and said: “Puss?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
carry out
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
plural of “tile” — a flat thin rectangular slab (as of fired clay or rubber or linoleum) used to cover surfaces
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
past form of “topple” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading I A gray kitten batted the tip end of a fern flowing green to the tiles of the sunroom’s floor, leaped three feet, killed an inch of fringe on the rug, toppled flat, waved coral set paws, and purred.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Look, Judy, I didn’t think you’d take it like this.
Chapter 21 of Footprints by Kay Cleaver Strahan holds 575 sentences, grouped into 115 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 21 holds 575 sentences of Footprints, unabridged, divided into 115 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Footprints by Kay Cleaver Strahan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 575 sentences, grouped into 115 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 115 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 115 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 21 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 Footprints by Kay Cleaver Strahan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6386 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75577 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75577, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 532 minutes of reading across 1278 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Footprints section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Footprints 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 Footprints, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
