How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. Coates • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door

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THE KING'S MESSENGER.

TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

"Poor fellow!" thought he.

"Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

Narrator

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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.

How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE KING'S MESSENGER.

/ðə kɪŋz ˈmesəndʒər/

Line 2

TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

Line 3

"Poor fellow!" thought he.

/puːr ˈfeloʊ θɔːt hiː/

Line 4

"Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

/huː noʊz bʌt wʌt ɪt meɪ tʃɪr hɪm ʌp ə bɪt/

Line 5

Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

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.

cheer verb US /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading “"Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."”

clerk noun US /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.”

determined adjective US /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading “TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.”

king's noun US /kɪŋz/

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading “THE KING'S MESSENGER.”

Matthew noun US /ˈmæθjuː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel

From this reading “TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.”

messenger noun US /ˈmesəndʒər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading “THE KING'S MESSENGER.”

particular adjective US /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading “Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.”

portion noun US /ˈpɔːrʃən/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading “Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.”

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.

Poor fellow adjective + noun

In this reading “"Poor fellow!" thought he.”

good news adjective + noun

In this reading “TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.”

went home verb + noun counted as “go home”

return home

In this reading “TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.”

some time adjective + noun

In this reading “Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

cheerverbUS /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

clerknounUS /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading "Poor fellow!" thought he.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

KING'SnounUS /kɪŋz/

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading THE KING'S MESSENGER.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

MatthewnounUS /ˈmæθjuː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

MESSENGERnounUS /ˈmesəndʒər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading THE KING'S MESSENGER.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

PooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "Poor fellow!" thought he.

portionnounUS /ˈpɔːrʃən/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

Reardon

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

Reardons

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

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE KING'S MESSENGER.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading "Poor fellow!" thought he.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

TIREDadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading TIRED as he was, the old clerk determined to carry the good news to Matthew Reardon as he went home.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who knows but what it may cheer him up a bit."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Having never been there before, it took him some time to find the home, together with that particular portion of it in which the Reardons lived.

Chapter 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door by Mrs. Coates holds 69 sentences, grouped into 14 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 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door contain?

Chapter 6 holds 69 sentences of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door by Mrs. Coates exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 69 sentences, grouped into 14 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 6 of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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.

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Yes. All 1318 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74108 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #74108, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 109 minutes of reading across 264 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door

Words and structures a reader meets early in How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dwellers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Vicinity: A word that appears in the opening chapter of How little Bessie kept the wolf from the door; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VI

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