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Happy Jack
Happy Jack

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Happy Jack is here in full — 42 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 PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.
_Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.
He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.
For once he had been careless, and this was the result.
Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.
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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 XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Happy Jack is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.
/ə ˈprɪzənər wɪˈθaʊt fɪr ə bæd neɪm ɪz ˈiːzi tuː ɡet bʌt hɑːrd tuː laɪv daʊn/
Line 2
_Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.
/ˈhæpi dʒæk ˈʃæd.oʊ ðə ˈwiːzəl wɑːz ə ˈprɪzənər/
Line 3
He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.
/hiː huː ˈɔːlweɪz hæd bɪn friː tuː ɡoʊ ənd kʌm æz hiː pliːzd ənd tuː duː æz hiː pliːzd wɑːz naʊ ɪn ə ˈlɪtəl ˈneroʊ keɪdʒ ənd kwaɪt ˈhelpləs/
Line 4
For once he had been careless, and this was the result.
/fɔːr wʌns hiː hæd bɪn ˈkerləs ənd ðɪs wɑːz ðə rɪˈzʌlt/
Line 5
Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.
/ˈfɑːrmər braʊnz bɔɪ hæd kɑːt hɪm ɪn ə træp/

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.

Brown's noun US /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading “Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.”

cage noun US /keɪdʒ/

an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept

From this reading “He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.”

careless adjective US /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading “For once he had been careless, and this was the result.”

Farmer noun US /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading “Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.”

helpless adjective US /ˈhelpləs/

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading “He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.”

prisoner noun US /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading “A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.”

trap noun US /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

From this reading “Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.”

Weasel noun US /ˈwiːzəl/

a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky

From this reading “_Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.”

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 A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

Brown'snounUS /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/

an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

carelessadjectiveUS /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading For once he had been careless, and this was the result.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

FarmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

FEARverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For once he had been careless, and this was the result.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

helplessadjectiveUS /ˈhelpləs/

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading For once he had been careless, and this was the result.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

PRISONERnounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading For once he had been careless, and this was the result.

ShadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading For once he had been careless, and this was the result.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

trapnounUS /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

From this reading Farmer Brown's boy had caught him in a trap.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

WeaselnounUS /ˈwiːzəl/

a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky

From this reading _Happy Jack._ Shadow the Weasel was a prisoner.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He who always had been free to go and come as he pleased and to do as he pleased was now in a little narrow cage and quite helpless.

WITHOUTprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading A PRISONER WITHOUT FEAR A bad name is easy to get but hard to live down.

Chapter 30 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 42 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 30 of Happy Jack contain?

Chapter 30 holds 42 sentences of Happy Jack, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of Happy Jack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 42 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 30 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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.