Chapter 5 of Just Folks is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Just Folks is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What of Ben Franklin? I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed. He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time. He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top. Was the world against him?
Chapter 5 of Just Folks is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
for a short time
From this reading “He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.”
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading “He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.”
past form of “dangle” — hang freely
From this reading “He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.”
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading “"What of Ben Franklin?”
one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading “He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.”
many times at short intervals
From this reading “I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.”
with patience; in a patient manner
From this reading “He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.”
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading “He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.”
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 I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Was the world against him?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
for a short time
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading "What of Ben Franklin?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
past form of “dangle” — hang freely
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading "What of Ben Franklin?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Was the world against him?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What of Ben Franklin?
many times at short intervals
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
with patience; in a patient manner
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
the upper part of anything
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was the world against him?
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I've oft heard it said That many a time he went hungry to bed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What of Ben Franklin?
in the company of; together with
From this reading He started with nothing but courage to climb, But patiently struggled and waited his time.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Was the world against him?
but in spite of that
From this reading He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb, Yet he got to the top.
Chapter 5 of Just Folks by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 holds 112 sentences of Just Folks, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Just Folks by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 5 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.
Common questions about reading Just Folks by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1027 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #941 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #941, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 85 minutes of reading across 206 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Just Folks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Just Folks to begin.
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 Just Folks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
