Chapter 17 of In the Heart of a Fool is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of In the Heart of a Fool is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose. His head was cast down. He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane. "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him." He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
Chapter 17 of In the Heart of a Fool is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading “IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.”
a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
From this reading “He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.”
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading “He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.”
the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual
From this reading “"I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."”
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading “He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.”
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading “He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.”
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading “He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.”
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading “He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.”
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.
lower someone's spirits; make downhearted
In this reading “His head was cast down.”
seek information from
In this reading “He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.”
In this reading “"I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
in addition
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
put or send forth
From this reading His head was cast down.
without stop or interruption
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
a female human offspring
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
dearly loved
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading His head was cast down.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading His head was cast down.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His head was cast down.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
by chance
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
male cat
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He continued to poke the vine, and looked up at the daughter sadly.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His head was cast down.
traveling (especially on foot)
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH TOM VAN DORN BECOMES A WAYFARING MAN ALSO The father rose.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He poked a vine curling about the porch floor with his cane.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I wonder, my dear," he spoke slowly, and with great gentleness, "if maybe I shouldn't talk with Tom--before you see him."
Chapter 17 of In the Heart of a Fool by William Allen White holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 17 holds 211 sentences of In the Heart of a Fool, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of In the Heart of a Fool by William Allen White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 11166 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30627 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30627, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2234 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in In the Heart of a Fool, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
