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Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers
Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers

Chapter III · An Emergency Case

Chapter III of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers, “An Emergency Case,” is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
|THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.
I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.
Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.
“Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!
That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers

Chapter III · An Emergency Case

Chapter III of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers, “An Emergency Case,” is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
|THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.
/ðə nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ broʊk klɪr braɪt ənd ˈspɑːrklɪŋ bʌt ˈbɪtərli koʊld/
Line 2
I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.
Line 3
Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.
Line 4
“Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!
Line 5
That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

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.

Allen's noun US /ˈælənz/

possessive form of “allen” — United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)

From this reading “That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.”

awaken verb US /əˈweɪkən/

cause to become awake or conscious

From this reading “Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.”

bevy noun US /ˈbevi/

a large gathering of people of a particular type

From this reading “I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.”

doings noun US /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading “I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.”

harnessed adjective US /ˈhɑːrnəst/

brought under control and put to use

From this reading “That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.”

indefatigable adjective US /ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbəl/

showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality

From this reading “I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.”

ingenious adjective US /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading “I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.”

pung noun US /pʌŋ/

a one-horse sleigh consisting of a box on runners

From this reading “That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “|THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.”

bitterly cold adverb + adjective

In this reading “|THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.”

opposite neighbor adjective + noun

In this reading “Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.”

during the day preposition + article + noun counted as “during … day”

In this reading “I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.”

fourth time noun + noun

In this reading “That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.”

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading ““Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

ag'in

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

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

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 I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

Allen'snounUS /ˈælənz/

possessive form of “allen” — United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

awakenverbUS /əˈweɪkən/

cause to become awake or conscious

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

bevynounUS /ˈbevi/

a large gathering of people of a particular type

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

bitterlyadverbUS /ˈbɪtərli/

with bitterness; in a resentful manner

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

cannot

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

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

doingsnounUS /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

excitedlyadverbUS /ɪkˈsaɪtədli/

with excitement; in an excited manner

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

fourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

harnessedadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrnəst/

brought under control and put to use

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

hoss

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

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

indefatigableadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbəl/

showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

ingeniousadjectiveUS /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

Jane

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

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

Miranda

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

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

neighbornounUS /ˈneɪbər/

a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

observationnounUS /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən/

the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

pungnounUS /pʌŋ/

a one-horse sleigh consisting of a box on runners

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

scornnounUS /skɔːrn/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/

shining with brilliant points of light like stars

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

That's

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

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading |THE next morning broke clear, bright, and sparkling, but bitterly cold.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

they've

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

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

to-day

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

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

unclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading That's the fourth time the hoss has been harnessed into Allen's pung to-day; and now they've got their uncle.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

Wa'al

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

From this reading “Wa'al, Jane!” said she, excitedly, in the afternoon, “there they go ag'in!

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Miss Miranda, their opposite neighbor, had kept to her post of observation, the window, very closely, and had seen much to awaken scorn and surprise.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I cannot attempt to tell you all the doings of that indefatigable and ingenious bevy of girls during the day.

Chapter 3 of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 3 of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers contain?

Chapter 3 holds 121 sentences of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 3 of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers

Common questions about reading Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers?

Yes. All 854 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54685 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54685, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers take to read?

About 71 minutes of reading across 171 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers section by section

How to work through Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers

Words and structures a reader meets early in Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Girls
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Half-a-dozen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.