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Lightfoot the Deer
Lightfoot the Deer

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Lightfoot the Deer
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Poor Lightfoot!
It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.
Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.
But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.
This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.
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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.

Lightfoot the Deer

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Poor Lightfoot!
Line 2
It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.
/ɪt siːmd tuː hɪm ðæt ðer wɜːr noʊ sʌtʃ θɪŋz æz ˈdʒʌstəs ənd fer pleɪ/
Line 3
Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.
/hæd ɪt bɪn dʒʌst wʌn ˈhʌntər æt ə taɪm əˈɡenst huːm hiː hæd tuː mætʃ hɪz wɪts ɪt wʊd nɑːt hæv bɪn soʊ bæd/
Line 4
But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.
/bʌt ðer wɜːr ˈmeni ˈhʌntərz wɪð ˈterəbəl ɡʌnz ˈlʊkɪŋ fɔːr hɪm ənd ɪn ˈdɑːdʒɪŋ wʌn hiː wɑːz ˈlaɪkli æt ˈeni taɪm tuː miːt əˈnʌðər/
Line 5
This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.
/ðɪs ɪn ˌɪtˈself siːmd ˈterəbli ənˈfer ənd ənˈdʒʌst/

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.

dodging noun US /ˈdɑːdʒɪŋ/

nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do

From this reading “But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.”

guns noun US /ɡʌnz/

plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading “But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.”

hunter noun US /ˈhʌntər/

someone who hunts game

From this reading “Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.”

hunters noun US /ˈhʌntərz/

plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game

From this reading “But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.”

terribly adverb US /ˈterəbli/

used as intensifiers

From this reading “This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.”

unfair adjective US /ənˈfer/

not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception

From this reading “This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.”

unjust adjective US /ənˈdʒʌst/

not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception

From this reading “This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.”

wits noun US /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading “Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

dodgingnounUS /ˈdɑːdʒɪŋ/

nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

gunsnounUS /ɡʌnz/

plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

hunternounUS /ˈhʌntər/

someone who hunts game

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

huntersnounUS /ˈhʌntərz/

plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

Lightfoot

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

From this reading Poor Lightfoot!

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

matchverbUS /mætʃ/

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

PooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Poor Lightfoot!

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/

used as intensifiers

From this reading This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

unfairadjectiveUS /ənˈfer/

not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception

From this reading This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.

unjustadjectiveUS /ənˈdʒʌst/

not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception

From this reading This in itself seemed terribly unfair and unjust.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading It seemed to him that there were no such things as justice and fair play.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But there were many hunters with terrible guns looking for him, and in dodging one he was likely at any time to meet another.

witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Had it been just one hunter at a time against whom he had to match his wits it would not have been so bad.

Chapter 20 of Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 20 of Lightfoot the Deer contain?

Chapter 20 holds 31 sentences of Lightfoot the Deer, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 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 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 20 of Lightfoot the Deer?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Lightfoot the Deer

Common questions about reading Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lightfoot the Deer?

Yes. All 1304 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4670 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lightfoot the Deer is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4670, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lightfoot the Deer take to read?

About 108 minutes of reading across 261 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lightfoot the Deer section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Lightfoot the Deer 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 Lightfoot the Deer

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lightfoot the Deer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Peter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lightfoot the Deer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rabbit
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lightfoot the Deer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Puzzled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lightfoot the Deer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stared
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lightfoot the Deer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.