Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Jack Buntline
Jack Buntline

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Jack Buntline is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Jack Buntline
Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.
________________________________________________________________________ JACK BUNTLINE, BY WHG KINGSTON.
PREFACE.
Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.
You know the sailor lad at a glance.
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.

Jack Buntline

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Jack Buntline is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.
Line 2
________________________________________________________________________ JACK BUNTLINE, BY WHG KINGSTON.
Line 3
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/
Line 4
Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.
Line 5
You know the sailor lad at a glance.
/juː noʊ ðə ˈseɪlər læd æt ə ɡlæns/

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.

escaping verb US /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/

-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

jacket noun US /ˈdʒækət/

a short coat

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

Kingston noun US /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading “Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.”

locks noun US /lɑːks/

plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “PREFACE.”

streaming adjective US /ˈstriːmɪŋ/

exuding a bodily fluid in profuse amounts

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

trousers noun US /ˈtraʊzərz/

(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

yon adjective US /jɑːn/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

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.

broad-brimmed hat adjective + noun

In this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

shirt collar noun + noun

In this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

blue shirt adjective + noun

In this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

Look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.”

sailor lad noun + noun

In this reading “You know the sailor lad at a glance.”

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 You know the sailor lad at a glance.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

blue-eyedadjective

favorite

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

broad-brimmedadjective

(of hats) having a broad brim

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

Buntline

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

From this reading Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.

collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/

a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

endsnounUS /endz/

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

escapingverbUS /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/

-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading You know the sailor lad at a glance.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.

jacketnounUS /ˈdʒækət/

a short coat

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

KingstonnounUS /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading You know the sailor lad at a glance.

ladnounUS /læd/

a boy or man

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

locksnounUS /lɑːks/

plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

neck-handkerchief

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading PREFACE.

sailornounUS /ˈseɪlər/

any member of a ship's crew

From this reading You know the sailor lad at a glance.

shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

smooth-facedadjective

lacking hair on the face

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

streamingadjectiveUS /ˈstriːmɪŋ/

exuding a bodily fluid in profuse amounts

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

stuckadjectiveUS /stʌk/

caught or fixed

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/

(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

WHG

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

From this reading Jack Buntline, by WHG Kingston.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

yonadjectiveUS /jɑːn/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading Look at yon smooth-faced blue-eyed lad; his fair locks escaping from beneath his broad-brimmed hat stuck to the back of his head; his blue shirt collar, let in with white, turned over his neck-handkerchief, which is tied with long streaming ends; his loose jacket, his wide trousers.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You know the sailor lad at a glance.

Chapter 1 of Jack Buntline by William Henry Giles Kingston holds 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 Jack Buntline contain?

Chapter 1 holds 457 sentences of Jack Buntline, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Jack Buntline by William Henry Giles Kingston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 Jack Buntline?

Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 92 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 Jack Buntline

Common questions about reading Jack Buntline by William Henry Giles Kingston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Jack Buntline?

Yes. All 1363 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37256 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Jack Buntline is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37256, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Jack Buntline take to read?

About 113 minutes of reading across 273 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Jack Buntline section by section

How to work through Jack Buntline section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Jack Buntline 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 Jack Buntline

Words and structures a reader meets early in Jack Buntline, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Buntline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack Buntline; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kingston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack Buntline; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack Buntline; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smooth-faced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack Buntline; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.