Chapter 17 of Happy Jack is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Happy Jack is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little. _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy. His name was the only happy thing about him. He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest. He just couldn't keep still.
Chapter 17 of Happy Jack is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/9 · 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.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.”
the boundary of a surface
From this reading “He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.”
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading “He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.”
past form of “fuss” — worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading “He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.”
a small worthless amount
From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.”
information about recent and important events
From this reading “TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.”
either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman
From this reading “TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just couldn't keep still.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
past form of “fuss” — worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
a small worthless amount
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
and nothing more
From this reading He just couldn't keep still.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He just couldn't keep still.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
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 TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
information about recent and important events
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
not any; not one
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
and nothing more
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
not in physical motion
From this reading He just couldn't keep still.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
a special situation
From this reading His name was the only happy thing about him.
either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS No one knows too much, but many know too little.
precisely as stated
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Happy Jack._ Happy Jack very plainly was not happy.
Chapter 17 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 17 holds 48 sentences of Happy Jack, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 10 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 17 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 Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1387 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 115 minutes of reading across 278 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Happy Jack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Happy Jack 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 Happy Jack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
