Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Half-Past Seven Stories
Half-Past Seven Stories

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Half-Past Seven Stories
Context Illustration Reading 28/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.
And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.
It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.
The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.
He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.
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.

Half-Past Seven Stories

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 28/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 136–140

Line 1
It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.
Line 2
And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.
Line 3
It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.
Line 4
The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.
Line 5
He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.
/hiː hæd dʌɡ ɪt ðæt ˈmɔːrnɪŋ tuː kætʃ ðə bɪɡ ræt ˈhaɪdɪŋ ˈsʌmwer bɪˈloʊ ðə flɔːr ʌv ðə bɑːrn/

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.

barn noun US /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading “He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.”

chase verb US /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading “And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.”

doggie noun US /ˈdɔːɡi/

informal terms for dogs

From this reading “The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.”

dug noun US /dʌɡ/

an udder or breast or teat

From this reading “He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.”

foxes noun US /ˈfɑːksəz/

plural of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading “And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.”

funny adjective US /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading “It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.”

hiding noun US /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of keeping something secret

From this reading “He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.”

rat noun US /ræt/

any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse

From this reading “He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

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 And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

barnnounUS /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

doggienounUS /ˈdɔːɡi/

informal terms for dogs

From this reading The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.

dogsnounUS /dɑːɡz/

plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

dugnounUS /dʌɡ/

an udder or breast or teat

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/

an opposing military force

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

foxesnounUS /ˈfɑːksəz/

plural of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

funnyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

hidingnounUS /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of keeping something secret

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

holenounUS /hoʊl/

an opening into or through something

From this reading It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

ratnounUS /ræt/

any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

Reddy

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

From this reading It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

Reddy's

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

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

sizenounUS /saɪz/

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading It was a little hole, just the right size for Wienerwurst, just the right size for Reddy.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

wasn't

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

From this reading The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.

wheneverconjunctionUS /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

From this reading And Wienerwurst was really Reddy's enemy, for all dogs like to chase foxes whenever they get the chance.

Wienerwurstnoun

a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll

From this reading It was funny, but it had been prepared by little Wienerwurst.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading The little yellow doggie wasn't there now.

Chapter 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories contain?

Chapter 1 holds 410 sentences of Half-Past Seven Stories, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Half-Past Seven Stories?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Half-Past Seven Stories

Common questions about reading Half-Past Seven Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Half-Past Seven Stories?

Yes. All 2778 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Half-Past Seven Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Half-Past Seven Stories take to read?

About 231 minutes of reading across 556 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Half-Past Seven Stories section by section

How to work through Half-Past Seven Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Half-Past Seven Stories 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 Half-Past Seven Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in Half-Past Seven Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dedication
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-Past Seven Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Itself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-Past Seven Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-Past Seven Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Honor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half-Past Seven Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.