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Lady Luck
Lady Luck

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of Lady Luck is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Lady Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
1.
"All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'
Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."
Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.
The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.
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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 XIX

Chapter 19 of Lady Luck is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
1.
Line 2
"All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'
Line 3
Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."
Line 4
Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.
/bæk ʌv hɪz trʌk ɑːn ðə dɑːk ðə ˈwaɪldkæt set ðə peɪs fɔːr hɪz ˈfeloʊz/
Line 5
The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.
/ðə mæn ɪn frʌnt ʌv hɪm faʊnd ðə ˈwaɪldkæt fərˈevər æt hɪz hiːlz/

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.

beans noun US /biːnz/

plural of “bean” — any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food

From this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

boss noun US /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading “"All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'”

burns noun US /bɜːrnz/

United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)

From this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

dock noun US /dɑːk/

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading “Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.”

load noun US /loʊd/

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

shoe noun US /ʃuː/

footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material

From this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

truck noun US /trʌk/

an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling

From this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

Wildcat noun US /ˈwaɪldkæt/

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

From this reading “Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.”

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.

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.”

whole day adjective + noun

In this reading “Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

BackadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

beansnounUS /biːnz/

plural of “bean” — any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

bossnounUS /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

burnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/

United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

Ceptin

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

denounUS /diː/

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

docknounUS /dɑːk/

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

fonoun

an officer holding the rank of major or lieutenant colonel or colonel

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

heelsnounUS /hiːlz/

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

loadnounUS /loʊd/

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

Loadin

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

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

mah

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

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The man in front of him found the Wildcat forever at his heels.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

O'leans

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

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

pacenounUS /peɪs/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

po'k

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

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

shoenounUS /ʃuː/

footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

Shovin

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

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

StopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

trucknounUS /trʌk/

an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "All I does is follow mah feet, 'Ceptin' when de boss says, 'Stop an' eat!'

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Follow mah feet de whole day through; Follow mah feet 'till I burns a shoe, Shovin' a truck load o' po'k an' beans, Loadin' de boat fo' New O'leans."

WildcatnounUS /ˈwaɪldkæt/

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

From this reading Back of his truck on the dock the Wildcat set the pace for his fellows.

Chapter 19 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 19 of Lady Luck contain?

Chapter 19 holds 128 sentences of Lady Luck, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 19 of Lady Luck?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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.