Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Four little Blossoms through the holidays
Four little Blossoms through the holidays

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Four little Blossoms through the holidays is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mabel C. Hawley • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Four little Blossoms through the holidays
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.
He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.
The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.
“I’m very sorry,” repeated Mr. Carter.
“Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”
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.

Four little Blossoms through the holidays

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Four little Blossoms through the holidays is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.
Line 2
He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.
/hiː ənd meɡ ənd ˈbɑːbi stʊd ɪn ðə hɔːl dʒʌst ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə əˈsembli hɔːl wer ðə ˈtʃɪldrən wɜːr ˈsɪŋɪŋ ðə ˈkloʊzɪŋ ˈkrɪsməs ˈkærəl/
Line 3
The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.
/ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl hæd ˈbekənd tuː ˈbɑːbi wen ðə ˈmjuːzɪk bɪˈɡæn ənd meɡ hæd ˈfɑːloʊd ðem/
Line 4
“I’m very sorry,” repeated Mr. Carter.
Line 5
“Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”
/duː juː noʊ huː sent ðɪs piːs ʌv koʊl tuː juː ˈbɑːbi/

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.

Assembly noun US /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

From this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beckoned verb US /ˈbekənd/

past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod

From this reading “The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bobby noun US /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carol noun US /ˈkærəl/

joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ

From this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Carter noun US /ˈkɑːrtər/

Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)

From this reading “COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
closing noun US /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/

the act of closing something

From this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coal noun US /koʊl/

fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading ““Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Meg noun US /meɡ/

the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

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.

Assembly hall noun + noun

a hall where many people can congregate

In this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

166 times in 426,211 chapters
just outside adverb + adjective

In this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

3,827 times in 426,211 chapters
in the hall preposition + article + noun counted as “in … hall”

In this reading “He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.”

19,191 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AssemblynounUS /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beckonedverbUS /ˈbekənd/

past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BobbynounUS /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carolnounUS /ˈkærəl/

joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CarternounUS /ˈkɑːrtər/

Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/

the act of closing something

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coalnounUS /koʊl/

fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMESnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gravelyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪvli/

in a grave and sober manner

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
I'm

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

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MegnounUS /meɡ/

the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
principalnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repeatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

recurring again and again

From this reading “I’m very sorry,” repeated Mr. Carter.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singingnounUS /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora curated lexicon
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading COMPANY COMES “I’m very sorry this happened,” said Mr. Carter gravely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of Four little Blossoms through the holidays by Mabel C. Hawley holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 Four little Blossoms through the holidays contain?

Chapter 9 holds 133 sentences of Four little Blossoms through the holidays, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Four little Blossoms through the holidays by Mabel C. Hawley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 Four little Blossoms through the holidays?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 Four little Blossoms through the holidays

Common questions about reading Four little Blossoms through the holidays by Mabel C. Hawley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Four little Blossoms through the holidays?

Yes. All 2025 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69776 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Four little Blossoms through the holidays is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69776, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Four little Blossoms through the holidays take to read?

About 168 minutes of reading across 405 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Four little Blossoms through the holidays section by section

How to work through Four little Blossoms through the holidays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of Four little Blossoms through the holidays 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 Four little Blossoms through the holidays

Words and structures a reader meets early in Four little Blossoms through the holidays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four little Blossoms through the holidays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four little Blossoms through the holidays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blossoms
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four little Blossoms through the holidays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brookside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four little Blossoms through the holidays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.