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John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein
John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein

Chapter II

Cover illustration for John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."
It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.
He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.
"Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."
John Gayther nodded approvingly.
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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.

John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein

Chapter II

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."
Line 2
It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.
Line 3
He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.
Line 4
"Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."
Line 5
John Gayther nodded approvingly.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.”

Drew noun US /drew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."”

John noun US /john/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."”

Nodded noun US /nodded/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “John Gayther nodded approvingly.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “"Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."”

Yourself pronoun US /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading “"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."”

All words in this reading · 84

Every word is available to listen to. 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 "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

alacrity

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

any

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

approvingly

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

From this reading John Gayther nodded approvingly.

armful

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

big

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

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

came

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

comfortable

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

difficult

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

drewnounUS /drew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

far

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

few

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

find

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

garden

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

Gayther

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

gazing

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

getting

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

girl

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

go

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

gold-rimmed

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

ground

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

John

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

knife

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

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

lady

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

minutes

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

miss

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

noddednounUS /nodded/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading John Gayther nodded approvingly.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

Now

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

Oh

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

out

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

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

pea-sticks

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

rather

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

said

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

seated

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

sharpening

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

shed

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

small

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

spectacles

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

stool

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

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

story

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

stuck

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

succeeded

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

sunlit

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

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

there

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading "Now," said she, gazing through her gold-rimmed spectacles far out into the sunlit garden, "this is the story of a girl."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

up

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

From this reading He drew up a stool and took out a big knife.

wanted

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

yes

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

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."

young

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

From this reading It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening, but he succeeded in getting a small armful of them, and with these he came to where the young lady was seated.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading "Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in a few minutes."