Chapter 1 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Peter Rabbit was puzzled. He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously. "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again. He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself. But what else could he think?
Chapter 1 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers
From this reading “He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.”
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading “He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.”
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading “Peter Rabbit was puzzled.”
possessive form of “somebody” — a human being
From this reading “"Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.”
with suspicion
From this reading “He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.”
shedding tears
From this reading “"Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.”
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading “He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.”
(used informally) very small
From this reading “He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.”
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 He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
anew
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what else could he think?
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But what else could he think?
distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But what else could he think?
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter Rabbit was puzzled.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading Peter Rabbit was puzzled.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading Peter Rabbit was puzzled.
possessive form of “somebody” — a human being
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
with suspicion
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
shedding tears
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Peter Rabbit was puzzled.
(used informally) very small
From this reading He stared at Lightfoot the Deer a wee bit suspiciously.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what else could he think?
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He didn't like to think it of Lightfoot, whom he always had believed quite as gentle, harmless, and timid as himself.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you been tearing somebody's coat?" he asked again.
Chapter 1 of Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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.
Chapter 1 holds 54 sentences of Lightfoot the Deer, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 1 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 Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1304 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4670 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4670, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 108 minutes of reading across 261 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lightfoot the Deer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Lightfoot the Deer 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 Lightfoot the Deer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
