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Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Life on the Mississippi
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.
Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
That was, to be a steamboatman.
We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.
When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Life on the Mississippi

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.
Line 2
Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
Line 3
That was, to be a steamboatman.
Line 4
We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.
Line 5
When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

All words in this reading · 71

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 The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

a

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

all

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

Ambition

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

ambitions

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

among

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

and

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

bank

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

be

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

From this reading That was, to be a steamboatman.

become

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

boy

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

Boys

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

burning

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

but

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

came

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

circus

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

clowns

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

comrades

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

first

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

footnote

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

God

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

good

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

had

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

Hannibal

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

hope

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

I

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

if

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

in

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

it

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

kind

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

left

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

life

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

lived

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

minstrel

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

Mississippi

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Missouri

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

my

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

negro

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

now

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

of

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

on

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

one

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

only

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

other

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

our

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

permanent

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

permit

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

pirates

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

River

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

section

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

show

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

sorts

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

steamboatman

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

From this reading That was, to be a steamboatman.

suffering

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

That

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

From this reading That was, to be a steamboatman.

The

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

then

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

there

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

they

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

to

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

From this reading That was, to be a steamboatman.

transient

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

try

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

us

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

village

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

was

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

We

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

went

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

were

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

From this reading We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.

west

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

From this reading Hannibal, Missouri]} on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

WHEN

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

From this reading The Boys' Ambition WHEN I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village {footnote [1.

would

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

From this reading When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

Chapter 4 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain holds 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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.

What does chapter 4 of Life on the Mississippi contain?

Chapter 4 holds 276 sentences of Life on the Mississippi, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 4 of Life on the Mississippi?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Life on the Mississippi

Common questions about reading Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Life on the Mississippi?

Yes. All 6357 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #245 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Life on the Mississippi is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #245, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Life on the Mississippi take to read?

About 529 minutes of reading across 1272 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Life on the Mississippi section by section

How to work through Life on the Mississippi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Life on the Mississippi 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 Life on the Mississippi

Words and structures a reader meets early in Life on the Mississippi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Witnesses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stewart
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Turns
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Traitor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.