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Happy Jack
Happy Jack

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Happy Jack is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Happy Jack
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Save a little every day, And for the future put away.
_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.
Happy Jack was up very early that morning.
In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.
He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.
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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.

Happy Jack

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Happy Jack is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Save a little every day, And for the future put away.
/seɪv ə ˈlɪtəl ˈevəri deɪ ənd fɔːr ðə ˈfjuːtʃər pʊt əˈweɪ/
Line 2
_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.
/ˈhæpi dʒæk ˈhæpi dʒæk ˈskwɜːrəl sæt ɑːn ðə tɪp ʌv wʌn ʌv ðə ˈhaɪəst ˈbræntʃəz ʌv ə bɪɡ ˈhɪkəri triː/
Line 3
Happy Jack was up very early that morning.
/ˈhæpi dʒæk wɑːz ʌp ˈveri ˈɜːrli ðæt ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
Line 4
In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.
/ɪn fækt ˈdʒɑːli raʊnd red ˈmɪstər sʌn wɑːz stɪl ɪn hɪz bed bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈpɜːrpəl hɪlz wen ˈhæpi dʒæk hɑːpt ˈbrɪskli aʊt ʌv bed/
Line 5
He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.
/hiː wɑːʃt hɪmˈself ˈθɜːroʊli ənd wɑːz ˈredi fɔːr ˈbɪznəs baɪ ðə taɪm ˈmɪstər sʌn bɪˈɡæn hɪz klaɪm ʌp ɪn ðə bluː bluː skaɪ/

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.

briskly adverb US /ˈbrɪskli/

in a brisk manner

From this reading “In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.”

climb verb US /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading “He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.”

hickory noun US /ˈhɪkəri/

valuable tough heavy hardwood from various hickory trees

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.”

hopped verb US /hɑːpt/

inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly

From this reading “In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.”

jolly adjective US /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading “In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.”

Squirrel noun US /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.”

tip noun US /tɪp/

the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.”

washed adjective US /wɑːʃt/

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading “He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

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

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

brisklyadverbUS /ˈbrɪskli/

in a brisk manner

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

hickorynounUS /ˈhɪkəri/

valuable tough heavy hardwood from various hickory trees

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

highestadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪəst/

superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

HillsnounUS /hɪlz/

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

hoppedverbUS /hɑːpt/

inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

PurplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

SaveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

SquirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Save a little every day, And for the future put away.

thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

tipnounUS /tɪp/

the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Happy Jack was up very early that morning.

washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue, blue sky.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed.

Chapter 1 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 Happy Jack contain?

Chapter 1 holds 41 sentences of Happy Jack, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 Happy Jack?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 Happy Jack

Common questions about reading Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Happy Jack?

Yes. All 1387 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Happy Jack is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Happy Jack take to read?

About 115 minutes of reading across 278 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Happy Jack section by section

How to work through Happy Jack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of Happy Jack 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 Happy Jack

Words and structures a reader meets early in Happy Jack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Happy Jack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Happy Jack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Future
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Happy Jack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Happy Jack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.