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Happy Jack
Happy Jack

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Happy Jack is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Happy Jack
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.
_Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.
Happy Jack Squirrel couldn't.
Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.
When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.
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.

Happy Jack

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Happy Jack is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.
Line 2
_Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.
/ˈhæpi dʒæk ˈveri fjuː ˈpiːpəl kæn biː ɔːl pʌft ʌp wɪð praɪd wɪˈθaʊt ˈʃoʊɪŋ ɪt/
Line 3
Happy Jack Squirrel couldn't.
Line 4
Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.
/dʒʌst tuː hæv lʊkt æt hɪm juː wʊd hæv noʊn ðæt hiː wɑːz ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈveri ˈveri ɡʊd əˈbaʊt ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
Line 5
When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.
/wen hiː θɔːt noʊ wʌn wɑːz ˈlʊkɪŋ hiː wʊd ˈæktʃuːəli strʌt/

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.

actually adverb US /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading “When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.”

jay noun US /dʒeɪ/

United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)

From this reading “SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.”

puffed adjective US /pʌft/

gathered for protruding fullness

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.”

showing noun US /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.”

Squirrel noun US /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading “SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.”

strut noun US /strʌt/

a proud stiff pompous gait

From this reading “When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.”

sweeter adjective US /ˈswiːtər/

comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading “SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.”

upset verb US /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading “SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

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 _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

couldn't

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

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel couldn't.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

JAYnounUS /dʒeɪ/

United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

pridenounUS /praɪd/

a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

puffedadjectiveUS /pʌft/

gathered for protruding fullness

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

QUITEadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

SAMMY

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

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

SquirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

strutnounUS /strʌt/

a proud stiff pompous gait

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

SuccessnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

sweeteradjectiveUS /ˈswiːtər/

comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

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._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

UPSETverbUS /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading SAMMY JAY IS QUITE UPSET I know of nothing sweeter than Success to Squirrel or to man.

VeryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he thought no one was looking, he would actually strut.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Very few people can be all puffed up with pride without showing it.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Just to have looked at him you would have known that he was feeling very, very good about something.

Chapter 23 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 49 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.

What does chapter 23 of Happy Jack contain?

Chapter 23 holds 49 sentences of Happy Jack, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 49 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.

How do I study chapter 23 of Happy Jack?

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.

Can chapter 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.