Just his luck

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of Just his luck is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Oliver Optic • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

HOLDING THE FORTRESS.

It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Chapter XXXVII Reading 1/20

Just his luck

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of Just his luck is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

HOLDING THE FORTRESS.

/ˈhoʊldɪŋ ðə ˈfɔːrtrəs/

Line 2

It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

/ɪt wɑːz ə boʊld ækt fɔːr ə bɔɪ ʌv weɪdz jɪrz ənd streŋkθ/

Line 3

But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

Line 4

The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

/ðə ˈbɑːksəz ɪn wʌn ʌv wɪtʃ hiː hæd meɪd hɪz bed wɜːr paɪld ʌp θriː tiːrz haɪ ənd tuː ɪˈskeɪp ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən hiː hæd meɪd hɪz bed ɪn ðə ˈʌpər wʌn/

Line 5

The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

/ðə end ʌv ðə paɪl wɑːz laɪk ə per ʌv sterz æz ðə ˈbɑːksəz hæd bɪn left fɔːr ðə kənˈviːnjəns ʌv ðə men huː hæd pʊt ðem ɪn ðɪs ʃeɪp/

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.

boxes noun US /ˈbɑːksəz/

plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading “The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.”

convenience noun US /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading “The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.”

fortress noun US /ˈfɔːrtrəs/

a fortified defensive structure

From this reading “HOLDING THE FORTRESS.”

observation noun US /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən/

the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading “The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.”

piled verb US /paɪld/

past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks

From this reading “The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.”

tackle noun US /ˈtækəl/

the person who plays that position on a football team

From this reading “But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.”

tiers noun US /tiːrz/

plural of “tier” — a relative position or degree of value in a graded group

From this reading “The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.”

Wade's noun US /weɪdz/

possessive form of “wade” — English tennis player who won many women's singles titles (born in 1945)

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.

escape observation noun + noun

In this reading “The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.”

full-grown man adjective + noun

In this reading “But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

advantagenounUS /ædˈvæntɪdʒ/

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

boxesnounUS /ˈbɑːksəz/

plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

daredverbUS /derd/

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

FORTRESSnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəs/

a fortified defensive structure

From this reading HOLDING THE FORTRESS.

full-grownadjective

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

HOLDINGnounUS /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/

the act of retaining something

From this reading HOLDING THE FORTRESS.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

observationnounUS /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən/

the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

piledverbUS /paɪld/

past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

shapenounUS /ʃeɪp/

any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

tacklenounUS /ˈtækəl/

the person who plays that position on a football team

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOLDING THE FORTRESS.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

tiersnounUS /tiːrz/

plural of “tier” — a relative position or degree of value in a graded group

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

Wade'snounUS /weɪdz/

possessive form of “wade” — English tennis player who won many women's singles titles (born in 1945)

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The boxes, in one of which he had made his bed, were piled up three tiers high; and to escape observation, he had made his bed in the upper one.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The end of the pile was like a pair of stairs, as the boxes had been left for the convenience of the men who had put them in this shape.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading But he had every advantage, or he would not have dared to tackle a full-grown man.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It was a bold act for a boy of Wade’s years and strength.

Chapter 37 of Just his luck by Oliver Optic holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 37 of Just his luck contain?

Chapter 37 holds 103 sentences of Just his luck, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 37 of Just his luck by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 37 of Just his luck?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 37 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 37 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 Just his luck

Common questions about reading Just his luck by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Just his luck?

Yes. All 4381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76585 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #76585, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 365 minutes of reading across 877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Just his luck

Words and structures a reader meets early in Just his luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter XXXVII

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