Chapter 1 of Guilt of the Brass Thieves is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Guilt of the Brass Thieves is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"This is the limit! The very limit!" Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock. His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding. "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
Chapter 1 of Guilt of the Brass Thieves is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
a squeaking sound
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
drive or propel with the foot
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading “"This is the limit!”
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes
From this reading “Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.”
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.
a cheerful and agreeable mood
In this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
In this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
In this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
In this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
In this reading “His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.”
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 His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
a squeaking sound
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
a female human offspring
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
the act of giving
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is the limit!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
drive or propel with the foot
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading "This is the limit!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
get rid of
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
carry out
From this reading "Oh, take it easy, Dad," she advised.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "This is the limit!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is the limit!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Giving his leather suitcase an impatient kick, Anthony Parker began to pace up and down the creaking old dock.
precisely as stated
From this reading The very limit!"
which person or people
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His daughter Penny, who stood in the shadow of a shed out of the hot afternoon sun, grinned at him with good humor and understanding.
Chapter 1 of Guilt of the Brass Thieves by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 417 sentences of Guilt of the Brass Thieves, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Guilt of the Brass Thieves by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Guilt of the Brass Thieves by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34831 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34831, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 315 minutes of reading across 756 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Guilt of the Brass Thieves section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Guilt of the Brass Thieves 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 Guilt of the Brass Thieves, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
