Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Joe Strong, the boy wizard
Joe Strong, the boy wizard

Chapter VIII · The Runaway

Chapter VIII of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, “The Runaway,” is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Vance Barnum • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Joe Strong, the boy wizard
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.
He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.
Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.
“Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?
We can’t wait all night!”
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.

Joe Strong, the boy wizard

Chapter VIII · The Runaway

Chapter VIII of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, “The Runaway,” is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.
Line 2
He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.
/hiː rɪˈmeɪnd ɪn hɪz siːt æt hɪz desk ˈlʊkɪŋ fɜːrst æt wʌn mæn ənd ðen æt ðə ˈʌðər/
Line 3
Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.
/ˈɔːfən hɪz ˈfɪŋɡərz wʊd biːt ə ˈdrʌmɪŋ ˌtæˈtuː ɑːn ðə tɑːp ʌv ðə desk æz ðoʊ hiː wɜːr tuː ˈnɜːrvəs tuː kiːp stɪl/
Line 4
“Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?
Line 5
We can’t wait all night!”

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.

beat verb US /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Deacon noun US /ˈdiːkən/

a Protestant layman who assists the minister

From this reading “Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desk noun US /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading “He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drumming noun US /ˈdrʌmɪŋ/

the act of playing drums

From this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Harrison noun US /ˈherɪsən/

English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)

From this reading ““Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervous adjective US /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sharply adverb US /ˈʃɑːrpli/

in an aggressive manner

From this reading ““Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tattoo noun US /ˌtæˈtuː/

a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters

From this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.”

257,448 times in 426,211 chapters
on the top preposition + article + noun counted as “on … top”

In this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

15,940 times in 426,211 chapters
keep still verb + adjective

In this reading “Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.”

3,147 times in 426,211 chapters
all night adjective + noun

In this reading “We can’t wait all night!””

24,605 times in 426,211 chapters
remained in verb + particle counted as “remain in”

In this reading “He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.”

25,543 times in 426,211 chapters

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 Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 We can’t wait all night!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Blackford

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

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

Pending verification
can't

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

From this reading We can’t wait all night!”

Pending verification
DeaconnounUS /ˈdiːkən/

a Protestant layman who assists the minister

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
drummingnounUS /ˈdrʌmɪŋ/

the act of playing drums

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HarrisonnounUS /ˈherɪsən/

English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading We can’t wait all night!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Deacon Blackford did not answer at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sharplyadverbUS /ˈʃɑːrpli/

in an aggressive manner

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tattoonounUS /ˌtæˈtuː/

a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He remained in his seat at his desk, looking first at one man and then at the other.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading We can’t wait all night!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We can’t wait all night!”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
what's

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

From this reading “Well!” said Harrison, sharply, “what’s it to be?

Pending verification
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Often his fingers would beat a drumming tattoo on the top of the desk, as though he were too nervous to keep still.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 8 of Joe Strong, the boy wizard by Vance Barnum holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 8 of Joe Strong, the boy wizard contain?

Chapter 8 holds 168 sentences of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Joe Strong, the boy wizard by Vance Barnum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 8 of Joe Strong, the boy wizard?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Joe Strong, the boy wizard

Common questions about reading Joe Strong, the boy wizard by Vance Barnum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Joe Strong, the boy wizard?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Joe Strong, the boy wizard is used?

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

How long does Joe Strong, the boy wizard take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Joe Strong, the boy wizard section by section

How to work through Joe Strong, the boy wizard section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Joe Strong, the boy wizard 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 Joe Strong, the boy wizard

Words and structures a reader meets early in Joe Strong, the boy wizard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Joe Strong, the boy wizard, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.