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Happy Jack
Happy Jack

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Happy Jack is here in full — 44 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
A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?
Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.
_Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?
Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.
Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.
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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 XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Happy Jack is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?
/ə driːm kʌmz truː wʌt ɑːr ɔːl ˈaʊər driːmz meɪd ʌp ʌv ðæt ðeɪ ˈɔːfən ɑːr soʊ kwɪr/
Line 2
Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.
/ˈwɪʃɪz hoʊps ənd fɑːnd dɪˈzaɪərz ɔːl mɪkst ʌp wɪð ˈfuːlɪʃ fɪrz/
Line 3
_Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?
/ˈhæpi dʒæk wɪtʃ ɪz wɜːrs tuː hæv ə ˈveri ˈbjuːtəfəl driːm ˈnevər kʌm truː ɔːr tuː hæv ə bæd driːm ˈrɪli kʌm truː/
Line 4
Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.
/ˈhæpi dʒæk ˈskwɜːrəl sez ðə ˈlætər ɪz wɜːrs mʌtʃ wɜːrs/
Line 5
Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.
/driːmz duː kʌm truː wʌns ɪn ə ɡreɪt waɪl juː noʊ/

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.

desires noun US /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading “Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.”

dreams noun US /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading “A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?”

fears noun US /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading “Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.”

foolish adjective US /ˈfuːlɪʃ/

devoid of good sense or judgment

From this reading “Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.”

mixed adjective US /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading “Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.”

queer adjective US /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading “A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?”

Squirrel noun US /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading “Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.”

Wishes noun US /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading “Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

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 A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

COMESnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

DREAMnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

dreamsnounUS /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

fearsnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

fondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

foolishadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlɪʃ/

devoid of good sense or judgment

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

hopesnounUS /hoʊps/

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

queeradjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

SquirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

TRUEadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading A DREAM COMES TRUE What are all our dreams made up of That they often are so queer?

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

WishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Wishes, hopes, and fond desires All mixed up with foolish fears.

worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.

Chapter 24 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 44 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 24 of Happy Jack contain?

Chapter 24 holds 44 sentences of Happy Jack, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 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 24 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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.