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Lady Luck
Lady Luck

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Lady Luck is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Lady Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
1.
"Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.
Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."
While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.
There were two sides to every jail.
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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.

Lady Luck

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Lady Luck is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
1.
Line 2
"Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.
Line 3
Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."
Line 4
While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.
Line 5
There were two sides to every jail.
/ðer wɜːr tuː saɪdz tuː ˈevəri dʒeɪl/

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.

brunet noun US /bruːˈnet/

a person with dark (brown) hair

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

Han noun US /hɑːn/

imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading “"Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.”

infested verb US /ˌɪnˈfestɪd/

past form of “infest” — invade in great numbers

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

kinda adverb US /ˈkɪndə/

to some (great or small) extent

From this reading “Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."”

languished verb US /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃt/

past form of “languish” — lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

nominally adverb US /ˈnɑːmənəli/

in name only

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

sidetracked verb US /ˈsaɪdtrækt/

past form of “sidetrack” — wander from a direct or straight course

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

Wildcat noun US /ˈwaɪldkæt/

an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

From this reading “While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

1

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

From this reading 1.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

axenounUS /æks/

an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

BlueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

BoonenounUS /buːn/

an American pioneer and guide and explorer (1734-1820)

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

brunetnounUS /bruːˈnet/

a person with dark (brown) hair

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

caresnounUS /kerz/

plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

chopverbUS /tʃɑːp/

cut into pieces

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading There were two sides to every jail.

Fezant

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

forgetverbUS /fərˈɡet/

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

Francisco

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

gitnounUS /ɡɪt/

a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

gits

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

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

goin

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

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

HannounUS /hɑːn/

imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

HoneynounUS /ˈhʌni/

a sweet yellow liquid produced by bees

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

infestedverbUS /ˌɪnˈfestɪd/

past form of “infest” — invade in great numbers

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

it's

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

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

jailnounUS /dʒeɪl/

a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

kindaadverbUS /ˈkɪndə/

to some (great or small) extent

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

languishedverbUS /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃt/

past form of “languish” — lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

LeadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

lucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

MemphisnounUS /ˈmemfəs/

largest city of Tennessee; located in southwestern Tennessee on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

nominallyadverbUS /ˈnɑːmənəli/

in name only

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

officialadjectiveUS /əˈfɪʃəl/

having official authority or sanction

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

porternounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/

a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

San

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading There were two sides to every jail.

sidetrackedverbUS /ˈsaɪdtrækt/

past form of “sidetrack” — wander from a direct or straight course

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

specialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were two sides to every jail.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

TonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading There were two sides to every jail.

uplifteh

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Lead me kinda gentle,--git me started slow; When I gits to goin', watch de luck trees drop."

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were two sides to every jail.

whah

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

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

WildcatnounUS /ˈwaɪldkæt/

an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

From this reading While the Wildcat was doing his best to forget the cares that nominally infested his official day as porter on the Blue Fezant special car, sidetracked in San Francisco, Honey Tone Boone, the brunet uplifteh, languished in the Memphis jail.

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading "Lead me to de woods whah de luck trees grow, Han' me de axe when it's time to chop.

Chapter 17 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 of Lady Luck contain?

Chapter 17 holds 153 sentences of Lady Luck, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 of Lady Luck?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Lady Luck

Common questions about reading Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lady Luck?

Yes. All 4131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26165 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lady Luck is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26165, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lady Luck take to read?

About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lady Luck section by section

How to work through Lady Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Lady Luck 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 Lady Luck

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lady Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fiel'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sailed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wisht
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Konk'rin'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.