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Heart of the West
Heart of the West

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Heart of the West is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Heart of the West
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, whatever it was.
And to-day he caps the vortex.
I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on em is pinned a note.
Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.
Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?
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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.

Heart of the West

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Heart of the West is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.
Line 2
And to-day he caps the vortex.
Line 3
I get a bunch of flowers from him, and onem is pinned a note.
/aɪ ɡet ə bʌntʃ ʌv ˈflaʊərz frʌm hɪm ənd ɑːn em ɪz pɪnd ə noʊt/
Line 4
Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.
Line 5
Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

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.

caps noun US /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading “And to-day he caps the vortex.”

cavorting verb US /kəˈvɔːrtɪŋ/

-ing form of “cavort” — play boisterously

From this reading “Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?”

jug noun US /dʒʌɡ/

a large bottle with a narrow mouth

From this reading “Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?”

loaf noun US /loʊf/

a shaped mass of baked bread that is usually sliced before eating

From this reading “Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?”

pinned verb US /pɪnd/

inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving

From this reading “I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.”

Rosa noun US /ˈroʊzə/

large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses

From this reading “Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.”

skip verb US /skɪp/

bypass

From this reading “Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?”

vortex noun US /ˈvɔːrteks/

the shape of something rotating rapidly

From this reading “And to-day he caps the vortex.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

breadnounUS /bred/

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

capsnounUS /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

cavortingverbUS /kəˈvɔːrtɪŋ/

-ing form of “cavort” — play boisterously

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

He'd

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

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

how

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

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

I'd

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

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

jugnounUS /dʒʌɡ/

a large bottle with a narrow mouth

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

loafnounUS /loʊf/

a shaped mass of baked bread that is usually sliced before eating

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

pinnedverbUS /pɪnd/

inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving

From this reading I get a bunch of flowers from him, and on ’em is pinned a note.

Pratt

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

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

RosanounUS /ˈroʊzə/

large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

Sampson

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

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

singingnounUS /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

skipverbUS /skɪp/

bypass

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

stuckadjectiveUS /stʌk/

caught or fixed

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

to-day

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

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

vortexnounUS /ˈvɔːrteks/

the shape of something rotating rapidly

From this reading And to-day he caps the vortex.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading “He’d better have stuck to it,” says Mrs. Sampson, “whatever it was.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

winenounUS /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Do you think for a moment that I’d skip out to the woods with a man along with a jug of wine and a loaf of bread, and go singing and cavorting up and down under the trees with him?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Now, Mr. Pratt, you know a lady when you see her; and you know how I stand in Rosa society.

Chapter 5 of Heart of the West by O. Henry holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 of Heart of the West contain?

Chapter 5 holds 195 sentences of Heart of the West, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Heart of the West by O. Henry exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 5 of Heart of the West?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Heart of the West

Common questions about reading Heart of the West by O. Henry on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Heart of the West?

Yes. All 5041 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Heart of the West is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1725, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Heart of the West take to read?

About 420 minutes of reading across 1009 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Heart of the West section by section

How to work through Heart of the West section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Heart of the West 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 Heart of the West

Words and structures a reader meets early in Heart of the West, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Baldy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woods
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reached
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bottle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Heart of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.