Chapter 8 of Lady Luck is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Lady Luck is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago. "Sho' craves mah rations. You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass. Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round." In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
Chapter 8 of Lady Luck is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
large outdoor signboard
From this reading “At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.”
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading “At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.”
third-person singular of “crave” — have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
From this reading “"Sho' craves mah rations.”
common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading “In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.”
(of sound) set to a certain pitch or key; usually used as a combining form
From this reading “At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.”
plural of “ration” — the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)
From this reading “"Sho' craves mah rations.”
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.”
an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field
From this reading “At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.”
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.
come into existence; take on form or shape
In this reading “In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.”
In this reading “At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.”
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 At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
a feeling of craving something
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
large outdoor signboard
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
third-person singular of “crave” — have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
From this reading "Sho' craves mah rations.
the first light of day
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
take in solid food
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
a person having kinship with another or others
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sho' craves mah rations.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
impressive in appearance
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
give nourishment to
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
above and across; more than
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
(of sound) set to a certain pitch or key; usually used as a combining form
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
plural of “ration” — the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)
From this reading "Sho' craves mah rations.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sho' craves mah rations.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading In the dawn the Wildcat realized that his appetite had sprung up like a mushroom over night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field
From this reading At midnight the Wildcat and Lily pitched their lonely camp behind a billboard in South Chicago.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seems lak you kin nutrify yo'se'f wid whuteveh vittles is laying 'round."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You done noble wid de grass, Lily, but Ah kain't eat grass.
Chapter 8 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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.
Chapter 8 holds 44 sentences of Lady Luck, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 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.
Common questions about reading Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26165 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26165, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lady Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Lady Luck 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 Lady Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
