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Girls in Bookland
Girls in Bookland

Chapter IV · An Adventure with Little Women

Chapter IV of Girls in Bookland, “An Adventure with Little Women,” is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Girls in Bookland
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.
Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.
And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.
Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.
Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Girls in Bookland

Chapter IV · An Adventure with Little Women

Chapter IV of Girls in Bookland, “An Adventure with Little Women,” is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.
/ˈwɪntər wɑːz ˈrɪli hɑːrd ənd fæst hiːr wɪð roʊz ənd ruːθ ənd ðeɪ wɜːr ˈsetəld ˈduːɪŋ ɔːl ðə ˈwɪntər θɪŋz/
Line 2
Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.
/iːtʃ ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ðer wɑːz skuːl ʌv kɔːrs skuːl raɪt æt hoʊm fɔːr nɑːt ˈiːvɪn ðə ˈsmɔːləst skuːl haʊs broʊk ðə lɔːŋ laɪn ʌv ðə ˈpreri wɪˈðɪn ˈmeni maɪlz ʌv ðə ræntʃ/
Line 3
And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.
/ənd ðer wɑːz ˈplenti ʌv ˈaʊtdɔːr pleɪ ənd ɪkˈsaɪtmənt tuː/
Line 4
Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.
Line 5
Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

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.

adventure verb US /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading “Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.”

fairy noun US /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.”

floated verb US /ˈfloʊtəd/

past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading “Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.”

outdoor adjective US /ˈaʊtdɔːr/

located, suited for, or taking place in the open air

From this reading “And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.”

prairie noun US /ˈpreri/

a treeless grassy plain

From this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

Ranch noun US /ræntʃ/

farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

From this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

Ruth noun US /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading “Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.”

smallest adjective US /ˈsmɔːləst/

superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

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.

little girls adjective + noun counted as “little girl”

a youthful female person

In this reading “Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.”

many miles adjective + noun counted as “many mile”

In this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

at home preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

single thing adjective + noun

In this reading “Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.”

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

long line adjective + noun

In this reading “Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.”

came near verb + particle counted as “come near”

almost do or experience something

In this reading “Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

adventureverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

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 Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

else

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

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/

past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

Marmie

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

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

outdooradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtdɔːr/

located, suited for, or taking place in the open air

From this reading And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.

plentynounUS /ˈplenti/

a full supply

From this reading And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.

prairienounUS /ˈpreri/

a treeless grassy plain

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

RanchnounUS /ræntʃ/

farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

RosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

RuthnounUS /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

Sapphonoun

the Greek lyric poet of Lesbos; much admired although only fragments of her poetry have been preserved (6th century BC)

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

smallestadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːləst/

superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

SomehowadverbUS /ˈsʌmhaʊ/

in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Just as soon as Marmie or any one else came near, every bit of the memory of it floated out of their heads.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading And there was plenty of outdoor play and excitement, too.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

WinternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Winter was really hard and fast here with Rose and Ruth, and they were settled doing all the winter things.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Each morning there was school of course, school right at home, for not even the smallest school house broke the long line of the prairie within many miles of the Ranch.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Somehow the two little girls never remembered a single thing about their wonderful adventure with Sappho and the fairy except when they were alone.

Chapter 4 of Girls in Bookland by Hildegarde Hawthorne holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 4 of Girls in Bookland contain?

Chapter 4 holds 204 sentences of Girls in Bookland, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Girls in Bookland by Hildegarde Hawthorne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 4 of Girls in Bookland?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Girls in Bookland

Common questions about reading Girls in Bookland by Hildegarde Hawthorne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Girls in Bookland?

Yes. All 3715 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62976 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Girls in Bookland is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62976, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Girls in Bookland take to read?

About 309 minutes of reading across 743 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Girls in Bookland section by section

How to work through Girls in Bookland section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Girls in Bookland 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 Girls in Bookland

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

Inside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Girls in Bookland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Girls in Bookland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Another
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Girls in Bookland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonderful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Girls in Bookland; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.