Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882
Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ABNER BOLTON.
"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.
While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.
Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."
"Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.
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.

Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ABNER BOLTON.
Line 2
"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.
Line 3
While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.
Line 4
Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."
Line 5
"Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

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.

bout noun US /baʊt/

(sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive

From this reading “While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.”

circus noun US /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading “"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.”

fellers noun US /ˈfelərz/

plural of “feller” — a person who fells trees

From this reading “While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.”

Leander noun US /liˈændər/

(Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her

From this reading “Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."”

makin noun US /ˈmækɪn/

battles in World War II in the Pacific (November 1943); United States Marines took the islands from the Japanese after bitter fighting

From this reading “"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.”

plays noun US /pleɪz/

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading “Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."”

rehearsal noun US /rɪˈhɜːrsəl/

a practice session in preparation for a public performance (as of a play or speech or concert)

From this reading “"Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.”

so's noun US /soʊz/

possessive form of “so” — the syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization

From this reading “Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

many times adjective + noun

In this reading “"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.”

come up verb + adjective

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."”

All words in this reading · 77

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 "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

ABNER

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

From this reading ABNER BOLTON.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

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 "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

BennounUS /ben/

a mountain or tall hill

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

BOLTON

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

From this reading ABNER BOLTON.

boutnounUS /baʊt/

(sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

didn't

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

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

doin

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

else

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

fellersnounUS /ˈfelərz/

plural of “feller” — a person who fells trees

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

fixin

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

how

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

I'll

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

I'm

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

I've

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

jestnounUS /dʒest/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

LeandernounUS /liˈændər/

(Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

Leighton

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

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

makinnounUS /ˈmækɪn/

battles in World War II in the Pacific (November 1943); United States Marines took the islands from the Japanese after bitter fighting

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

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 "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/

plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

playsnounUS /pleɪz/

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

rehearsalnounUS /rɪˈhɜːrsəl/

a practice session in preparation for a public performance (as of a play or speech or concert)

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

saddleverbUS /ˈsædəl/

put a saddle on

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

so'snounUS /soʊz/

possessive form of “so” — the syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

they're

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

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made.

to-day

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

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

to-morrow

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

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

we'll

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

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading While I'm doin' that, you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in the show.

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 by Various holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 421 sentences of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882

Common questions about reading Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882?

Yes. All 1070 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56771 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56771, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 take to read?

About 89 minutes of reading across 214 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 section by section

How to work through Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882 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 Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882

Words and structures a reader meets early in Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Abner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bolton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Makin'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Saddle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, April 18, 1882; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.